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Journal articleBiswas P, Sanchez-Garrido J, Kozik Z, et al., 2025,
The accessory type III secretion system effectors collectively shape intestinal inflammatory infection outcomes
, GUT MICROBES, Vol: 17, ISSN: 1949-0976 -
Journal articleHerzog MK-M, Peters A, Shayya N, et al., 2025,
Comparing <i>Campylobacter jejuni</i> to three other enteric pathogens in OligoMM<SUP>12</SUP> mice reveals pathogen-specific host and microbiota responses
, GUT MICROBES, Vol: 17, ISSN: 1949-0976- Cite
- Citations: 1
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Journal articleMorón-Ortiz Á, Ferrando-Marco M, León-Vaz A, et al., 2025,
Effects of lutein, phytoene and carotenoid-rich microalgal extracts on the epidermis of Caenorhabditis elegans.
, Food Chem, Vol: 497Carotenoids are widespread bioactive compounds that can accumulate in the skin. Microalgae, such as Chlorella sorokiniana and Dunaliella bardawil, are a sustainable source of natural carotenoids. This study evaluates the effect of phytoene- and lutein-rich green microalgal extracts along with pure phytoene and lutein, on the epidermis of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Wild-type and sensitised mutant backgrounds were used to examine the effect of the selected carotenoids on epidermal stem cells, which differentiate to give rise to mature epidermal, neuronal, and support cell types. We also assessed their impact on cuticle integrity, the protective outer layer secreted by epidermal cells. Results revealed that phytoene-enriched microalgae at 3 μg/mL significantly increased stem cell number and improved cuticle integrity (4.4- to 12.4-fold less permeable). Our findings support a role for carotenoids in the epidermis of C. elegans, with potential implications for future developments in dermocosmetics.
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Journal articlePawar S, Kontopoulos D-G, 2025,
Toward a general understanding of thermal performance curves in biology.
, Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, Vol: 122 -
Journal articleXu H, Wang H, Prentice IC, et al., 2025,
Global variation in the ratio of sapwood to leaf area explained by optimality principles
, New Phytologist, ISSN: 0028-646X• The sapwood area supporting a given leaf area (Huber value, vH) reflects the coupling between carbon uptake and water transport and loss at a whole-plant level. Geographic variation in vH presumably reflect plant strategic adaptations but the lack of a general explanation for such variation hinders its representation in vegetation models and assessment of how its impact on the global carbon and water cycles. • Here we develop a simple hydraulic trait model to predict optimal vH by matching stem water supply and leaf water loss, and test its performance against two extensive plant hydraulic datasets. • We show that our eco-evolutionary optimality-based model explains nearly 60% of global vH variation in response to light, vapour pressure deficit, temperature and sapwood conductivity. Enhanced hydraulic efficiency with warmer temperatures reduces the sapwood area required to support a given leaf area, whereas high irradiance (supporting increased photosynthetic capacity) and drier air increase it. • This study thus provides a route to modelling variation in functional traits through the coordination of carbon uptake and water transport processes.
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Journal articleGee A, Werden LK, Verduzco-Salazar OE, et al., 2025,
Secondary succession of a seasonally dry tropical forest is taxonomically stochastic but functionally deterministic
, FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT, Vol: 598, ISSN: 0378-1127 -
Journal articleHabtewold T, Lwetoijera DW, Hoermann A, et al., 2025,
Gene-drive-capable mosquitoes suppress patient-derived malaria in Tanzania
, Nature, ISSN: 0028-0836Gene drive technology presents a transformative approach to combatting malaria by introducing genetic modifications into wild mosquito populations to reduce their vectorial capacity. Although effective modifications have been developed, these efforts have been confined to laboratories in the global north. We previously demonstrated that modifying Anopheles gambiae to express two exogenous antimicrobial peptides inhibits the sporogonic development of laboratory-cultured Plasmodium falciparum, with models predicting substantial contributions to malaria elimination in Africa when integrated with gene drive1,2,3. However, the effectiveness of this modification against genetically diverse, naturally circulating parasite isolates remained unknown. To address this critical gap, we adapted our technology for an African context by establishing infrastructural and research capacity in Tanzania, enabling the engineering of local A. gambiae under containment. Here we report the generation of a transgenic strain equipped with non-autonomous gene drive capabilities that robustly inhibits genetically diverse P. falciparum isolates obtained from naturally infected children. These genetic modifications were efficiently inherited by progeny when supplemented with Cas9 endonuclease provided by another locally engineered strain. Our work brings gene drive technology a critical step closer to application, providing a locally tailored and powerful tool for malaria eradication through the targeted dissemination of beneficial genetic traits in wild mosquito populations.
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Journal articleRodrigues Lopes I, Alcantara LM, Lopez-Bravo M, et al., 2025,
Systematic identification of bacterial factors driving Staphylococcus aureus intracellular lifestyle in non-professional phagocytes
, Nature Communications, Vol: 16, ISSN: 2041-1723Staphylococcus aureus is a major human pathogen responsible for severe infections. While traditionally described as extracellular, increasing evidence establishes S. aureus as a facultative intracellular pathogen. Intracellularity contributes to immune evasion, dissemination, and antibiotic failure. To identify bacterial factors critical for S. aureus invasion, intracellular replication, persistence, and host cytotoxicity, we screened a comprehensive collection of 1,920 S. aureus mutants (Nebraska transposon mutant library) in epithelial cells across five timepoints (0.5 to 48 hours post-infection). We identified 73 bacterial factors strongly modulating S. aureus intracellularity, including mutants displaying multiple phenotypes. Most of these factors have not been linked to intracellular lifestyle. Among these, we characterized the nicotinamidase PncA as a novel regulator of the agr system via redox state modulation, strongly impacting virulence. This study provides a systematic analysis of S. aureus factors critical for intracellular lifestyle, with implications for the development of antimicrobial strategies targeting this resilient bacterial population.
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Journal articleMishra V, Kozik Z, Biswas P, et al., 2025,
Rehydration rescues Il22-/- mice from lethal Citrobacter rodentium infection
, Nature Communications, ISSN: 2041-1723Interleukin-22 (IL-22) is considered indispensable for host defence against Citrobacter rodentium, with 100% mortality of Il22 -/- mice. While IL-22 promotes epithelial barrier integrity and production of antimicrobial peptides, the precise mechanism underlying lethality remains unclear. Here, we show that following C. rodentium infection Il22-/- mice succumb due to dehydration, rather than failure to control bacterial burden or regenerate damaged intestinal epithelium. Proteomic and gene expression analysis reveal greater enterocyte depletion in C. rodentium-infected Il22-/- mice, resulting in significant reductions in ion transporter abundances. We show that while not reducing bacterial load, improving the gut barrier integrity, or affecting immune responses, fluid therapy (FT) fully rescues Il22-/- mice by correcting systemic dehydration. Survival is associated with locally increased Reg3b, IL-17F and IL-10 levels, suggesting activation of compensatory pathways that potentially support recovery in the absence of IL-22. Recovered Il22-/- mice exhibit epithelial cell regeneration and tissue physiology similarly to C. rodentium-infected Il22+/+ mice. These findings suggest that dehydration is the primary cause of mortality in Il22-/- mice and reveal that IL-22 prevent this outcome by preserving epithelial integrity and fluid-ion absorption. Importantly, this study underscores the necessity of incorporating supportive therapies into preclinical infection models to better reflect physiological settings and improve their relevance in modelling human disease.
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Journal articleLavergne A, Harrison SP, Atsawawaranunt K, et al., 2025,
Minimal impact of recent decline in C4 vegetation abundance on atmospheric carbon isotopic composition
, Communications Earth & Environment, ISSN: 2662-4435Changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations, climate, and land management influence the abundance and distribution of C3 and C4 plants, yet their impact on the global carbon cycle remains uncertain. Here, we use a parsimonious model of C3 and C4 plant distribution, based on optimality principles, combined with a simplified representation of the global carbon cycle, to assess how shifts in plant abundances driven by carbon dioxide and climate affect global gross primary production, land-based carbon isotope discrimination, and the isotopic composition of atmospheric carbon dioxide. We estimate that the proportion of C4 plants in total biomass declined from about 16% to 12% between 1982 and 2016, despite an increase in the abundance of C4 crops. This decline reflects the reduced competitive advantage of C4 photosynthesis in a carbon dioxide-enriched atmosphere. As a result, global gross primary production rose by approximately 16.5 ± 1.8 petagrams of carbon, and land-based carbon isotope discrimination increased by 0.017 ± 0.001‰ per year. Accounting for changes in C3 and C4 abundances reduces the difference between observed and modelled trends in atmospheric carbon isotope composition, but does not fully explain the observed decrease, pointing to additional, unaccounted drivers.
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Journal articlePretorius D, Nikov G, Washio K, et al., 2025,
Designing novel solenoid proteins with in silico evolution
, Communications Chemistry, ISSN: 2399-3669Solenoid proteins are elongated tandem repeat proteins with diverse biological functions, making them attractive targets for protein design. Advances in machine learning have transformed our understanding of sequence-structure relationships, enabling new approaches for de novo protein design. Here, we present an in silico evolution platform that couples a solenoid discriminator network with AlphaFold2 as an oracle within a genetic algorithm. Starting from random sequences, we design α-, β-, and αβ-solenoid backbones, generating structures that span natural and novel solenoid space. We experimentally characterise 41 solenoid designs, with α-solenoids consistently folding as intended, including one structurally validated design that closely matches the design model. All β-solenoids initially failed, reflecting the difficulty of designing β-strand majority proteins. By introducing terminal capping elements and refining designs based on earlier experimental screens, we generate two β-solenoids that have biophysical properties consistent with their designs. Our approach achieves fold-specific hallucination-based design without depending on explicit structural templates.
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Journal articleDeelen L, Mitchell Z, Demurtas M, et al., 2025,
Hominoid-specific transposable elements reshaped neural crest migration in craniofacial development
, Molecular Systems Biology, Vol: 21, Pages: 1731-1747, ISSN: 1744-4292Craniofacial development is evolutionarily conserved, yet subtle changes in its regulatory network drive species-specific traits. Transposable elements (TEs) contribute to genome evolution, but their role in cranial neural crest cells (CNCCs) remains unclear. Here, we investigate the domestication of hominoid-specific TEs (LTR5Hs and SVAs) as enhancers during human CNCC specification, a process critical for vertebrate craniofacial development. Using human iPSC-derived CNCCs, we identified ~515 hominoid-specific TEs functioning as enhancers, including ~250 human-specific, predominantly LTR5Hs. These elements are enriched for CNCC coordinator motifs, are bound by the CNCC signature factor TWIST1, and their enhancer activity appears largely CNCC-specific. CRISPR-interference targeting ~75% of these active TEs led to widespread transcriptional dysregulation of genes involved in neural crest migration, and two orthogonal functional assays confirmed that CNCC migration is impaired upon TE repression. Finally, genes near human-specific TEs showed higher expression in human CNCCs compared to chimpanzee CNCCs, but TE repression restored gene expression to chimpanzee levels. These findings highlight how young TEs were domesticated to fine-tune CNCC regulatory networks, potentially contributing to lineage-specific craniofacial evolution.
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Journal articleHeon SP, Bernard H, Ewers RM, 2025,
Decomposition dynamics of an orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus morio) carcass in a tropical forest: implications for conservation practices
, Ecology and Evolution, Vol: 15, ISSN: 2045-7758Over the past decade, more than 600 rehabilitated Bornean Orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus morio) have been released into protected forests in Borneo. Releasing rehabilitant Bornean Orangutans into the wild is a standard conservation practice, yet monitoring postrelease survival remains a challenge. Limited data exist on post release survival, with many individuals classified as “missing but presumed dead” due to the absence of a carcass for confirmation. Detecting carcasses in tropical forests is particularly difficult due to dense vegetation and the narrow time frame for observing remains before complete decomposition or scavenger removal. Here, we report the first documented observation of a wild adult female Bornean Orangutan carcass decomposing process in the Danum Valley Conservation Area, Malaysian Borneo, on 21 May 2023. The approximately 30 kg carcass was monitored using camera traps and field observations. Decomposition was assessed using Payne's (1965) decomposition framework, the Total Body Score (TBS) system, and Accumulated Degree Days (ADD) to evaluate the influence of ambient temperature on decay. Decomposition progressed to the dry-remains stage within 6 days, primarily driven by vertebrate scavengers such as the Asian water monitor lizard (Varanus salvator) and blow flies (Calliphoridae). This rapid decomposition rate challenges existing knowledge on the rate of decomposition of medium-sized carcasses (> 10 kg) and suggests that the common practice of weekly monitoring for post-release orangutans may be insufficient. Understanding decomposition processes and scavenger activity in tropical forests can improve carcass detection, refine mortality estimates for released Orangutans and other endangered species, and enhance conservation strategies for this critically endangered primate.
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Journal articleSimoni A, Tolosana I, Bernardini F, 2025,
Genetic control strategies for population suppression in the Anopheles gambiae complex: a review of current technologies
, Current Opinion in Insect Science, Vol: 72, ISSN: 2214-5745Malaria continues to pose a critical public health threat, with mosquitoes from the Anopheles gambiae complex acting as the main vectors of the disease in sub-Saharan Africa, where approximately 95% of malaria-related deaths occur. Despite significant advancements in vector control, such as insecticide-treated bed nets and indoor spraying, the effectiveness of these interventions is increasingly compromised by various challenges, including rising levels of insecticide and pathogen resistance, mosquito behavioural adaptations, and persistent funding gaps. In this context, genetic vector control strategies have shown considerable promise, primarily based on findings from controlled laboratory studies. This review explores the development of these genetic approaches within the Anopheles gambiae complex and outlines future directions for their advancement and potential integration into malaria control efforts.
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Journal articleVictor Ribeiro Amaral A, Sykulski A, Fielding S, et al., 2025,
Navigating challenges in spatio-temporal modelling of Antarctic krill abundance: addressing zero-inflated data and misaligned covariates
, Spatial Statistics, Vol: 70, ISSN: 2211-6753Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) are among the most abundant species on our planet and serve as a vital food source for many marine predators in the Southern Ocean. In this paper, we utilise statistical spatio-temporal methods to combine data from various sources and resolutions, aiming to model krill abundance. Our focus lies in fitting the model to a dataset comprising acoustic measurements of krill biomass. To achieve this, we integrate climate covariates obtained from satellite imagery and from drifting surface buoys (also known as drifters). Additionally, we use sparsely collected krill biomass data obtained from net fishing efforts (KRILLBASE) for validation. However, integrating these multiple heterogeneous data sources presents significant modelling challenges, including spatio-temporal misalignment and inflated zeros in the observed data. To address these challenges, we fit a Hurdle-Gamma model to jointly describe the occurrence of zeros and the krill biomass for the non-zero observations, while also accounting for misaligned and heterogeneous data sources, including drifters. Therefore, our work presents a comprehensive framework for analysing and predicting krill abundance in the Southern Ocean, leveraging information from various sources and formats. This is crucial due to the impact of krill fishing, as understanding their distribution is essential for informed management decisions and fishing regulations aimed at protecting the species.
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Journal articleMoulick D, Santra SC, Majumdar A, et al., 2025,
Efficacy of Seed Priming Technology in Ameliorating Metals and Metalloids Toxicity in Crops: Prospective and Issues
, REVIEWS OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY, Vol: 263, ISSN: 0179-5953 -
Journal articleDavydova S, Meccariello A, 2025,
Engineering new clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-mediated population control for tephritid pests
, CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE, Vol: 72, ISSN: 2214-5745 -
Journal articleZhao H, Pye R, Walker G, et al., 2025,
Missense3D-PTMdb: a web tool for visualising and exploring human genetic variants and post-translational modification sites using AlphaFold models
, Journal of Molecular Biology, Pages: 169595-169595, ISSN: 0022-2836 -
Journal articleZhang Z, Jones G, Calabrese S, et al., 2025,
An Integrated Modelling Framework to Determine Terrestrial Carbon Dioxide Removal via Enhanced Rock Weathering.
, Glob Chang Biol, Vol: 31Enhanced rock weathering (ERW) is an emerging carbon dioxide removal (CDR) strategy that can support net-zero emission targets. However, current ERW modelling efforts rely on assumptions that introduce substantial variation in CDR estimates across varying ecosystems and hydroclimatic conditions. They typically ignore or oversimplify plant-soil interactions and high-frequency hydrological dynamics, obscuring short-term weathering responses and biotic feedbacks to soil moisture dynamics. Here, we introduce an integrated, process-based modelling framework, T&C-SMEW, which represents ecohydrological and ERW dynamics, along with microbially explicit biogeochemical processes. We compared framework simulations against a controlled mesocosm experiment and long-term field observations, demonstrating its ability to reproduce feedstock cation release, soil pH dynamics, gross primary production, and CO2 fluxes. T&C-SMEW reveals hydrological constraints and vegetation effects on ERW-mediated CDR by quantifying impacts on ecosystem respiration, net ecosystem exchange, and alkalinity export, emphasising the importance of ecohydrological modelling for ecosystem-level CDR estimation. These advances provide a modelling framework for identifying optimal deployment scenarios to establish ERW as a viable and operationally feasible CDR approach.
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Journal articleModiba MP, Bell T, Glick B, et al., 2025,
Ralstonia solanacearum and Xanthomonas perforans as Causal Agents of Bacterial Disease of Tomato.
, Microbiologyopen, Vol: 14Tomatoes are produced worldwide, and in South Africa, they are cultivated in all provinces. The most destructive tomato diseases are bacterial spot, caused by Xanthomonas spp., and bacterial wilt caused by Ralstonia solanacearum. Over the years, different strategies have been employed to control tomato disease. The disadvantage of chemical pesticides is that they alter microbial communities and sometimes remain on food commodities. Recently, studies have been conducted on biological control agents in the hope of eventually replacing the use of chemical pesticides. Some studies have discovered potential biological control agents for bacterial diseases. Better insight into host-pathogen interaction will help develop better disease management strategies. This review provides insights into plant diseases caused by Ralstonia and Xanthomonas and how they are managed.
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Journal articleTsitsa I, Conev A, David A, et al., 2025,
The aging of the AlphaFold database.
, Nat Struct Mol Biol, Vol: 32, Pages: 2374-2376 -
Journal articleGilestro GF, 2025,
AI reviewers are here - we are not ready.
, Nature, Vol: 648 -
Journal articleOhara A, Pengyue Z, Cao X, et al., 2025,
The Impact of Methanol Concentration on Recombinant Protein Glycosylation in Pichia pastoris SuperMan5.
, Microb Biotechnol, Vol: 18The methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris (also known as Komagataella phaffii) is a prominent platform for recombinant protein production, offering benefits such as thermo- and osmotolerance, high-density growth, and efficient protein secretion. Its ability to metabolise methanol, an increasingly available carbon source, enhances its cost-effectiveness and sustainability for industrial use. As a eukaryotic host, P. pastoris ensures proper protein folding and post-translational modifications (PTMs), including glycosylation, which is essential for correct folding and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) quality control. While ER-transferred glycans are critical for maturation, additional modification in the Golgi apparatus can yield larger glycans whose impact on stability, solubility, and bioactivity may be either beneficial or undesirable, depending on the application of the heterologous protein. The impact of induction conditions on glycosylation of proteins secreted by P. pastoris SuperMan5 was examined, using the DS-1 (G2P[4]) and WA (G1P[8]) VP8* rotavirus capsid proteins as a model. An ELISA-based screening system was employed for clone selection and media optimization, with results showing easy integration into automated workflows. Methanol concentration was found to impact both N- and O-linked glycosylation complexity, shaping the glycosylation profile of the target protein as well as the P. pastoris secretome. This study underscores the importance of optimising cultivation conditions to enhance protein yield, refine glycosylation, and minimise impurities, all of which are crucial for large-scale production and efficient downstream processing. It also suggests a method for easy modulation of glycosylation depending on the target application and the desired level of glycosylation.
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Journal articleMustri MP, Duan Q, Pawar S, 2025,
Accuracy of the Lotka-Volterra model fails in strongly coupled microbial consumer-resource systems.
, PLoS Comput Biol, Vol: 21The generalized Lotka-Volterra (GLV) model is a cornerstone of theoretical ecology for modeling the dynamics emerging from species interactions within complex ecological communities. The GLV is also increasingly being used to infer species interactions and predict dynamics from empirical data on microbial communities, in particular. However, despite its widespread use, the accuracy of the GLV's pairwise interaction structure in capturing the unseen dynamics of microbial consumer-resource interactions-arising from resource competition and metabolite exchanges-remains unclear. Here, we rigorously quantify how well the GLV can represent the dynamics of a general mathematical model that encapsulates key consumer-resource processes in microbial communities. We find that the GLV significantly misrepresents the feasibility, stability, and reactivity of microbial communities above a threshold biologically feasible level of consumer-resource coupling, because it omits higher-order nonlinear interactions. We show that the probability of the GLV making inaccurate predictions can be quantified by a simple, empirically accessible measure of timescale separation between consumers and resources. These insights advance our understanding of the temporal dynamics of resource-mediated microbial interactions and provide a method for gauging the GLV's reliability across various empirical and theoretical scenarios.
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Journal articleDemurtas M, Barnada S, van Domselaar E, et al., 2025,
Neural crest induction requires SALL4-mediated BAF recruitment to lineage specific enhancers
, Development, ISSN: 0950-1991Neural crest induction begins early during neural plate formation, requiring precise transcriptional control to activate lineage-specific enhancers. Here, we demonstrate that SALL4, a transcription factor associated with syndromes featuring craniofacial anomalies, plays a critical role in early cranial neural crest (CNCC) specification. Using SALL4-het-KO human iPSCs to model clinical haploinsufficiency, we show that SALL4 directly recruits BAF to CNCC-lineage specific enhancers at the neuroectodermal stage, specifically when neural crest gene expression is induced at the neural plate border. Without functional SALL4, BAF is not loaded at chromatin, leaving CNCC enhancers inaccessible. Consequently, the cells cannot undergo proper CNCC induction and specification due to persistent enhancer repression, despite normal neuroectodermal and neural plate progression. Moreover, by performing SALL4 isoform-specific depletion, we demonstrate that the SALL4A is the isoform essential for CNCC induction and specification, and that SALL4B cannot compensate for SALL4A loss in this developmental process. In summary, our findings reveal SALL4 as essential regulator of BAF-dependent enhancer activation during early stages of neural crest development, providing molecular insights into SALL4-associated craniofacial anomalies.
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Journal articleMoitra T, Larrouy-Maumus G, 2025,
Integrated approaches for discovery and functional annotation of proteins of unknown function.
, Trends Biochem Sci, ISSN: 0968-0004Proteins of unknown function (PUFs) remain a persistent blind spot in molecular biology. Emerging evidence implicates many PUFs in crucial but poorly characterised roles in biomedical contexts, particularly cancer and infectious diseases. Here, we explore integrative strategies combining high-throughput experimental platforms with computational models to address this gap. We outline how functional insights can be derived across a molecular hierarchy, spanning individual proteins, interaction networks, and transient assemblies, and evaluate the distinct opportunities and challenges faced at each level. Framing these advances within a systems biology lens, we argue that characterising PUFs could redefine therapeutic discovery pipelines. We call for data-driven discovery methods and community efforts to support reproducible, scalable annotation of the 'dark' proteome.
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Journal articleSalis A, Martin K, Girard-Buttoz C, 2025,
Challenges and new opportunities in deciphering the meaning of corvid call sequences.
, Anim Cogn, Vol: 28Due to their complex social systems and remarkable cognitive abilities, corvids are interesting candidates for large scale comparative research on the meaning of animal calls. However, research on corvid communication has primarily focused on individual signatures or mimicry capabilities, and investigations into the meaning of their calls have yielded comparatively fewer results. This discrepancy can be attributed to several challenges faced by researchers, including difficulties in identifying the units that convey meaning, accurately determining the specific context associated with a call, and the limitations of traditional playback methods when applied to species with extensive repertoires and considerable flexibility in call sequences. In this review, we outline a series of emerging research avenues—recently explored in other songbirds and mammals—that may prove valuable for researchers seeking to understand the meaning behind corvid call sequences. We specifically address the various approaches to identify meaning-bearing units; the strategies for refining the definition of ‘context’ in the assessment of corvids’ repertoires; and the novel protocols and methods that offer alternative perspectives on meaning, beyond the classical playback experimental approaches that were historically used to assess the meaning of calls or call sequences.
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Journal articleWeeks TL, Walkden PA, Edwards DP, et al., 2025,
Land-use change undermines the stability of avian functional diversity.
, NatureLand-use change causes widespread shifts in the composition and functional diversity of species assemblages. However, its impact on ecosystem resilience remains uncertain. The stability of ecosystem functioning may increase after land-use change because the most sensitive species are removed, which leaves more resilient survivors1-3. Alternatively, ecosystems may be destabilized if land-use change reduces functional redundancy, which accentuates the ecological impacts of further species loss4,5. Current evidence is inconclusive, partly because trait data have not been available to quantify functional stability at sufficient scale. Here we use morphological measurements of 3,696 bird species to estimate shifts in functional redundancy after recent anthropogenic land-use change at 1,281 sites worldwide. We then use extinction simulations to assess the sensitivity of these altered assemblages to future species loss. Although the proportion of disturbance-tolerant species increases after land-use change, we show that this does not increase stability because functional redundancy is reduced. This decline in redundancy destabilizes ecosystem function because relatively few additional extinctions lead to accelerated losses of functional diversity, particularly in trophic groups that deliver important ecological services such as seed dispersal and insect predation. Our analyses indicate that land-use change may have major undetected impacts on the resilience of key ecological functions, hindering the capacity of natural ecosystems to absorb further reductions in functionality caused by ongoing perturbations.
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Journal articleFountain LL, Gilliham M, Amitrano C, et al., 2025,
Expanding frontiers: harnessing plant biology for space exploration and planetary sustainability
, New Phytologist, ISSN: 0028-646XPlants are critical for sustaining human life and planetary health. However, their potential to enable humans to survive and thrive beyond Earth remains unrealized. This Viewpoint presents a collective vision outlining priorities associated with plant science to support a new frontier of human existence. These priorities are drawn from the International Space Life Sciences Working Group (ISLSWG) Plants for Space Exploration and Earth Applications workshop, held at the European Low Gravity Research Association (ELGRA) conference in September 2024. First, we highlight transformative advances gained from using the ‘laboratory of space’ in understanding how plants respond to gravity and other stressors. Second, we introduce a new crop Bioregenerative Life Support System (BLSS) readiness level (BRL) framework – extending the existing Crop Readiness Level (CRL) – to assist in overcoming challenges to establish resilient, sustainable crop production. Materializing the vision of plants as enablers of space exploration will require innovative approaches, including predictive modeling, synthetic biology, robust Earth-based analogue systems, and reliable space-based instruments to monitor biological processes. Success relies upon a unified international community to promote sharing of resources, facilities, expertise, and data to accelerate progress. Ultimately, this work will both advance human space exploration and provide solutions to enhance sustainable plant production on Earth.
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Journal articleWyer CAS, Amaro IA, Pitcher S, et al., 2025,
Pickpocket315 affects male mating behavior in the yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti
, G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics, ISSN: 2160-1836The molecular basis of mating behavior in the important disease vector mosquito, Aedes aegypti, remains poorly characterized. We investigated the functional role of a pickpocket gene, ppk315, in male mating behavior using both RNAi-mediated knockdown and CRISPR/Cas9 approaches. Behavioral assays revealed that RNAi-treated males (dsPPK315) made fewer mating attempts, were less responsive to female acoustic cues, and were less likely to achieve copulation, though their latency to initiate contact when attempts were made was comparable to controls. Males with a CRISPR/Cas9-induced disruption to ppk315 exhibited reduced success in inseminating multiple females, consistent with previous reports from RNAi knockdown males, ruling out off-target effects as the source of behavioral changes. In contrast to the results of behavioral assays with RNAi, ppk315 mutant males (ppk315⁻/⁻) attempted copulation as frequently as wild-type males (ppk315+/+) but were slower to contact females. Despite these impairments in one-on-one interactions, both dsPPK315 and ppk315⁻/⁻males displayed normal mating success under competitive swarm-like conditions, potentially due to the socially-facilitated activation of mating behavior. Collectively, our findings support a role for ppk315 in the initiation of mating behaviors via sensory detection, with context-dependent consequences for reproductive success.
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