Researchers have developed a new method to more accurately analyze small microplastics in the ocean. They collected seawater from 12 ocean layers across 4 regions in the North Pacific Ocean to find that the concentrations of small microplastics ranged from 1,000 to 10,000 particles per cubic meter of seawater. Additionally, small microplastics enter the ocean by either reaching near-neutral buoyancy to drift at specific depths or rapidly sink to the seafloor.

A new study published in Scientific Reports reports the discovery of a remarkably extensive hydrothermal vent field on the shelf of Milos Island, Greece. The vents were identified during the METEOR expedition M192, where the research team used a combination of different methods, including underwater technologies such as an autonomous and a remotely operated vehicles, to survey the seafloor. These approaches revealed previously undocumented venting between 100 and 230 meters depth. This makes Milos home to one of the largest known shallow-to-intermediate hydrothermal systems in the Mediterranean and substantially expands current knowledge of vent distribution in the region.

Scientists propose a new “prebiotic gel-first” framework that suggests life on Earth may have begun in sticky, surface-bound gels. These primitive gels could have concentrated and protected molecules, enabling complex chemical reactions long before cells formed. This insight may even help guide the search for life beyond Earth.

In a recent pioneering study, researchers at Insilico Medicine ("Insilico"), a generative artificial intelligence (AI)-driven clinical-stage biotechnology company, harnessed its AI-driven generative chemistry platform, Chemistry42, to design a novel, first-in-class PROTAC targeting PKMYT1, D16-M1P2, which employs a dual mechanism of action—inducing PKMYT1 degradation while directly inhibiting its kinase activity. This innovative strategy holds promise for overcoming limitations of existing inhibitors, such as poor selectivity and acquired resistance, and to effectively target both the catalytic and non-catalytic functions of PKMYT1. As a result, the PROTAC demonstrates the potential for a more selective, potent, and durable therapeutic effect.

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.