Summary

Researchers at EMBL-EBI and collaborators have developed SPRTA, a new way to measure confidence in evolutionary family trees at a pandemic scale. 

SPRTA allows scientists to quickly identify which parts of these trees are reliable, where uncertainty remains, and what could be alternative evolutionary histories.

By helping to track how pathogens spread and evolve, SPRTA could improve responses to future pandemics.

A collaboration led by Max Delbrück Center and University of Bath has uncovered how ancient viral DNA controls a gene linked to placenta development and pre-eclampsia, a life-threatening pregnancy disorder. The research, published in “Genome Biology,” could help identify pre-eclampsia risk much earlier.

Researchers have created CAROSEL (Chamber ARray for Observing Sediment Exchanges Long-term), an autonomous underwater system that continuously tracks nutrient exchanges between sediments and water. For the first time, scientists can observe these processes in real time, multiple times daily, over long periods. By revealing how sediment-driven nutrient releases respond to light, oxygen, and weather, CAROSEL offers a powerful new way to understand and manage nutrient pollution, helping protect water quality and prevent harmful algal blooms in lakes, estuaries, and coastal ecosystems.