Wild animals that have acquired adaptions to maximize their reproductive output in some of the world’s most extreme conditions may provide answers to some of the most pressing problems in the field of human reproductive health.

•           A new journal article by Michelle Shero, assistant scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's Biology Department, examines how the study of seals in particular can benefit human health, and synthesizes various research on the topic.

Several aspects in the life history of seals that could provide significant insight into their reproductive physiology – as well as that of humans – include female seals’ ability to undergo lengthy fasting and lose about 30% of their body weight while nursing a pup. Seals also have an exceptional ability to hold their breath for up to two hours in some species for long dives. Additionally, seals have the ability to ‘pause’ pregnancy, through a process known as embryonic diapause, so they can give birth during benign environmental conditions.

•           In seeking ways to improve human health, we should be looking to the extraordinary feats of wild animals. They have often found the most innovative solutions.

A new study from Umeå University has revealed that the trees’ circadian clock guides their growth and the timing of seasonal events like the appearance of leaves in spring. The researchers investigated the growth of genetically modified poplars in greenhouse and field conditions, combining statistical learning and plant biology methods. Their findings suggest that adjusting clock-associated genes could help trees better synchronize with changing climates, offering new opportunities for forestry.

A new peer-reviewed study in the journal Fisheries shows that a salmon-focused ecosystem protection strategy for the North Pacific can deliver meaningful results in the global drive to protect biodiversity. The “stronghold strategy” aims to proactively protect a select group of salmon, steelhead, and trout systems that comprise 119 distinct watersheds. In the decades since the strategy's conception by the nonprofit Wild Salmon Center, WSC and a global network of partners have protected 35.7 million acres of habitat and prioritized wild fish biodiversity in 89 rivers across the North Pacific.

Artificial intelligence could help monitor and reverse the damage done to marine life – and improve women's healthcare by making it easier to diagnose diseases such as endometriosis – according to researchers from universities in the UK and Australia. 

A landmark study has revealed how inherited genetic variants, known as germline variants, play a critical role in the progression of cancer.

The research, conducted by a global consortium of scientists, including Kathleen J. Imbach and contributors from the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC), offers new insights into how these genetic factors influence molecular processes across a wide range of cancer types.

Newly published research from UNC Greensboro biology professor Dr. Bryan McLean and colleagues shows that the masked shrew, a small, mole-like mammal found in the Appalachian Mountains, shrinks its body and braincase to conserve energy during winter months.

Genome Research publishes Part 2 of the Special Issue on Long-read DNA and RNA Sequencing Applications in Biology and Medicine, a diverse collection of research, methods, and review articles offering novel biological and clinical insights gained using long-read DNA and RNA sequencing technologies and other long molecule approaches. Articles in this issue provide advances in multiple areas, including genome assembly and annotation, rare disease diagnostics, structural variation, cancer genomics, transcriptomics, epigenetics, and single-cell sequencing.