A research group at the Italian Institute of Technology (Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia - IIT) has identified a candidate molecule that could improve current therapies against pancreatic cancer. The team designed the new molecule, called Apt1, using artificial intelligence tools and tested it in in vitro experiments, demonstrating its effectiveness in making tumour cells more vulnerable to chemotherapy drugs. When combined with drugs already in use, the molecule increases the effectiveness of anticancer therapies even at lower dosages than those normally given. The research study has been published in the scientific journal Nature Communications.

Summary:

• University of Ottawa researchers developed a dual-agent AI system that enables wireless networks to autonomously detect and defend against jamming attacks in real-time.

• The technology strengthens Canada's digital infrastructure by protecting critical services including emergency response, healthcare, transportation, and smart city applications.

Long-term cattle manure application significantly influences soil phosphorus (P) cycling and associated microbial communities in agricultural systems. However, the mechanisms by which P-transforming microbial communities and their ecological networks mediate P cycling and crop productivity under sustained organic amendment remain poorly understood.

The input of fresh carbon can either enhance or suppress the mineralization rate of native soil organic carbon (SOC), a process known as the priming effect. The priming effect plays a crucial role in terrestrial carbon cycling. Although previous studies have attempted to elucidate its mechanisms and responses to nitrogen (N) addition, existing findings remain inconsistent. 

Microbial necromass plays a crucial role in soil organic carbon (SOC) formation, yet the underlying abiotic and biotic factors remain poorly understood, particularly the trophic interactions between protists and fungi/bacteria that drive soil fungal and bacterial necromass accumulation. A groundbreaking 27-year field study reveals that how soil protists differentially control fungal and bacterial necromass accumulation—a key process governing SOC storage. These findings, published in Soil Ecology Letters, redefine our understanding of soil carbon dynamics.

A latest study published in Soil Ecology Letters sheds new light on how mangrove forests adapt to rising salinity levels, a critical threat amplified by climate change. The research, led by Mr. Shamim Ahmed from the Technical University of Munich, demonstrates how soil nutrients and leaf area index (LAI) interact with species and structural diversity to buffer mangrove productivity against salinity stress.