Consuming a blend of toxic Bt corn and non-toxic corn can give corn earworm moths longer, more narrow and more tapered wings that can send them long distances.

Organoid research has rapidly advanced as a transformative platform for modeling development, disease, and regeneration, yet inconsistent reporting has hindered reproducibility and limited data integration across laboratories. The newly introduced Minimum Information about Organoid Research (MIOR) framework establishes a comprehensive, modular reporting system designed to address these challenges. MIOR defines clear requirements for project metadata, biological sources, organoid characterization, culture conditions, engineering strategies, and assay parameters. By distinguishing essential from recommended fields, the framework balances rigor with practical usability. MIOR aims to turn organoid datasets into reusable, comparable resources and strengthen the reliability and translational potential of organoid-based research.

Using catalytic chemistry, researchers at Institute of Science Tokyo have achieved dynamic control of artificial membranes, enabling life-like membrane behavior. By employing an artificial metalloenzyme that performs a ring-closing metathesis reaction, the team induced the disappearance of phase-separated domains as well as membrane division in artificial membranes, imitating the dynamic behavior of natural biological membranes. This transformative research marks a milestone in synthetic cell technologies, paving the way for innovative therapeutic breakthroughs.

Humpback whales are less picky eaters than other baleen whales. If cod runs out in an area, they may switch to krill. This flexibility might be a key reason for their evolutionary success, according to whale scientists in a recent study.

An international team led by Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany, has used state-of-the-art cryo-electron microscopy to visualize electrical synapses (gap junctions) inside living cells. In doing so, they discovered a surprising additional structure: a previously unknown circular “cap” that is connected to the channel from the inside of the cell. It appears to be formed by the protein UNC-1, whose protein family is associated with various diseases. The results were published in Science Advances.

The dental development of modern bears does not follow the typical pattern seen in most mammals. The reason lies millions of years ago in the history of bear evolution. SNSB zoologists have identified two phases in bear evolution that are responsible for the differences in bear dentition. The researchers have now published their findings in the journal Boreas.