New research from the Kind Group at the Hubrecht Institute sheds light on how cells repair damaged DNA. For the first time, the team has mapped the activity of repair proteins in individual human cells. The study demonstrates how these proteins collaborate in so-called "hubs" to repair DNA damage. This knowledge offers opportunities to improve cancer therapies and other treatments where DNA repair is essential. The researchers published their findings in Nature Communications on November 21.

Compared to intensive land use, sustainable land use allows better control of underground herbivores and soil microbes. As a result, the soil ecosystem is more resilient and better protected from disturbance under sustainable management than under intensive land use. Researchers from Leipzig University, the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig and other research institutions found that the total energy flux and the activities of so-called decomposers, herbivores and predators in the soil food web remained stable. They have just published their paper in the journal Global Change Biology.

Saclipins are natural compounds found in the edible cyanobacterium Aphanothece sacrum, known for their skincare benefits. A recent study by Professor Kageyama and his team evaluated the anti-aging potential of saclipins in skincare products and cosmetics. The study found that saclipins enhance collagen, hyaluronic acid production, inhibit elastase, and reduce melanin synthesis. Additionally, saclipins were found to have UV-absorbing properties and remain stable under heat and light, making them a promising ingredient for skincare products.

Osaka Metropolitan University researchers confirm using zebrafish that if a certain gene is not excluded when vertebrate embryos are developing, the notochord will not elongate properly, resulting in a shortened form.

Florida manatees are threatened by human activity, but they’re also doing better than ever, according to a study examining manatee populations since 12,000 BC, published November 20, 2024 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Thomas J. Pluckhahn of the University of South Florida and David K. Thulman of George Washington University, Washington DC, U.S.