A new graph-based deep learning framework may improve the reconstruction of gene regulatory networks from single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data by integrating global network structure learning with biologically informed statistical modeling, according to a study published in Computational Biomedicine.

Aquatic fungi are microorganisms that play a key role in the ecological balance of rivers. They help decompose organic matter, degrade contaminants and are part of the nutrient and energy cycle in freshwater ecosystems. Despite their ecological importance, a study published in the journal Freshwater Biology now warns that the biodiversity and biological functions of these microorganisms in these natural environments are at risk due to rising temperatures, prolonged dry periods and the loss of riparian vegetation caused by climate change.

Two researchers from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) have been awarded ERC Advanced Grants by the European Research Council (ERC), each receiving millions in EU funding over five years. As announced today by the ERC, the following two researchers will receive funding: Professor Dr. Edward Lemke, Professor of Synthetic Biophysics at JGU and Adjunct Director of the Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB) will receive approximately EUR 3 million, and Professor Dr. Andreas Walther, Professor of Macromolecular Materials and Systems at JGU and Max Planck Research Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research will receive approximately EUR 2.6 million.

Florian Weinberger conducts his research within the Regeneration Program at the CNIC.

New research from the University of St Andrews has shown that higher extinction risk is associated with higher frequency of decreasing local prevalence of species, in an analysis of one of the most comprehensive long-term databases ever created, BioTIME – a major tool to study biodiversity change also developed at the University of St Andrews. Researchers from the School of Biology alongside a team of international partners, analysed over 60 000 populations of 2362 species across 978 marine and terrestrial assemblages. These populations have been sampled comprehensively over at least 20 years. The picture that emerged was of complex links between the two factors, but a clear signal also emerged that decreasing temporal trends were associated with higher extinction risk compared to the other trends. Overall, fewer than 10% of populations showed either increasing or decreasing prevalence over time 

UCLA scientists are calling for a large-scale initiative to understand how human cells influence one another — a missing layer of biology that could reveal how cellular interactions drive disease and inform new therapies.