Researchers at Osaka Metropolitan University have successfully cultured canine iPS cells in a medium without using components of human origin.

Tea plants are known for their ability to accumulate aluminum (Al), a trait that is beneficial for growth at optimal levels but may pose health risks when consumed in excess. This study identifies a key gene, CsWRKY17, that plays a crucial role in the accumulation of aluminum in the leaves of tea plants. By enhancing pectin deesterification in the cell walls, this gene helps facilitate the binding of aluminum, which is essential for managing Al toxicity. This discovery provides a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms regulating aluminum accumulation in tea plants, offering potential strategies for breeding tea varieties with reduced aluminum content and improved safety.

As wildfire smoke becomes a growing public-health story in the Northeast, a first-of-its-kind study in Environmental Health finds that Canadian wildfire smoke in the summer of 2023 worsened asthma symptoms in children across Vermont and upstate New York—even though the fires were burning hundreds of miles away.