Researchers in Japan found that lower plasma copper levels and reduced white matter volume in individuals with autism spectrum disorder were associated with clinical symptom scores, including social symptom severity. Using a mouse model, they show that developmental copper deficiency disrupts brain vascular and metabolic signaling, impairs oligodendrocyte maturation and myelination, and alters social behavior through mitophagy and mTOR suppression.

As global climate change intensifies and agricultural environments become increasingly arid, understanding the adaptive mechanisms of terrestrial plants is critical for global food security. Plant cuticular wax forms a vital hydrophobic barrier that protects crops from severe water loss, UV radiation, and pathogen infection. Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench), a major drought-tolerant crop, is valued for its thick cuticular wax layer, which markedly enhances resilience to abiotic stresses. However, the key regulatory mechanisms governing cuticular wax accumulation and very-long-chain fatty acid (VLCFA) biosynthesis have remained largely uncharacterized.

Researchers at Tohoku University look beyond the life-taking venomous stings of box jellyfish, and focus on life-creating processes in a new comprehensive study of their reproductive traits.

Researchers, including those from the University of Tokyo, pioneered a new method for encapsulating cells within small, soft capsules. This is useful for various kinds of research where the properties of a cell, including its behaviors and interactions, need to be isolated and measured. Previous methods required more specialized equipment, time and expertise. The new method needs only basic lab equipment and can open up access to advanced 3D cell culture research to a broad range of researchers. 

In a review published in Immunity & Inflammation, Prof. Chen-Yu Zhang from the State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology at Nanjing University has synthesized two decades of progress in extracellular RNA biology. Their article, titled “EV-encapsulated extracellular microRNAs as orchestrators of systemic communication in immunity and inflammation,” traces the remarkable evolution of circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) from stable biomarkers in biofluids to active orchestrators of long-range immune regulation and inter-organ crosstalk. The review positions EV-encapsulated miRNAs as a sophisticated “molecular postal system” and “hidden language” that coordinates systemic communication in metabolism, tissue repair, and immune homeostasis.

Using synthetic biology and cell-free systems, Associate Professor Keith Pardee and his team have developed a protocol to produce research-quality bioreagents without the use of traditional lab infrastructure. Using freeze-dried reagents reactivated by water and purified through a 3D printed, hand-powered centrifuge, Pardee and his team have a developed a way to effectively bypass the cold-chain, increasing accessibility to proteins by researchers in low-resource settings. This process has been tested in remote areas in Canada and around the world, including on the side of a mountain in Whitehorse, Yukon.