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  • Journal article
    Maia RA, Oki Y, Medina I, Figueiredo JCG, Barbosa M, Pereira EG, Aguirre-Guti矇rrez J, Fernandes GWet al., 2026,

    , Theoretical and Experimental Plant Physiology, Vol: 38

    Large-scale mining disasters in tropical regions impose long-term pressures on ecosystems by degrading soil fertility and exposing native vegetation to chemical and physical disturbances. This study investigates whether Eugenia florida, a native tree species found in both tailings-impacted and reference areas of the Rio Doce Basin in Brazil, exhibits physiological adjustments that confer resilience to combined edaphic and thermal constraints. We assessed soil properties and 16 physiological traits related to nutrient status, photosynthetic efficiency, photoprotection, and thermal tolerance. Soils in the impacted area exhibited markedly lower organic matter, cation exchange capacity, and nutrient concentrations, along with increased iron concentration. Despite a 10% reduction in nitrogen balance index, plants in the impacted area exhibited 10% more chlorophyll and 19% more flavonoids, indicating compensatory pigment production and enhanced antioxidant capacity. Photosynthetic performance remained stable across environments, but individuals in the impacted area displayed elevated regulated energy dissipation and reduced unregulated energy loss, suggesting efficient photoprotective adjustments. Transient fluorescence analyses revealed intensified excitation fluxes and greater heat dissipation per reaction centre. Thermal thresholds, defined as temperatures causing 15% and 50% reductions in photosynthetic efficiency, were significantly higher in impacted individuals. Multivariate analyses identified excitation flux traits as key predictors of thermal resilience. Physiological function in E. florida is sustained through integrated plastic responses under long-term soil degradation and thermal constraints. Its ability to modulate energy fluxes and antioxidant defences highlights its potential as a candidate species for ecological restoration in tropical regions increasingly affected by human disturbance and climate extremes.
  • Journal article
    Oh J, Jim矇nez JI, Kim J, 2026,

    , Current Opinion in Biotechnology, Vol: 100, ISSN: 0958-1669

    Precision fermentation is redefining microbial food manufacturing by enabling programmable biosynthesis of nutrients and functional ingredients. Despite this progress, industrial-scale deployment is limited by metabolic burden, growth-production trade-offs, biosafety concerns, and the costs of downstream processing. Conventional intracellular systems inherently generate host-derived impurities and endotoxins, challenging food-grade standards. Here, we review platform-level advances that decouple biosynthesis from cellular constraints and streamline process design, with a focus on approaches aligned to food industry requirements. We highlight cell-free systems and non-replicative minicells as intrinsically contained production chassis, detail advances in secretion and efflux engineering for efficient extracellular product recovery, and discuss division-of-labor microbial consortia to address resource allocation limits. Together, these innovations integrate biosafety and process efficiency, providing a safe-by-design framework for next-generation microbial food systems that meet both regulatory and industrial needs.
  • Journal article
    Di Domenico F, Kucharczyk MW, Patel R, Bannister Ket al., 2026,

    Peri-operative pregabalin does not alter behavioural or diffuse noxious inhibitory control responses in two rat models of chronic pain

    , PAIN Reports, ISSN: 2471-2531

    Introduction: Multiple mechanisms contribute to the experience of pain where the use of model organisms to dissect mechanistically sensory regulatory circuitry is a vital component of discovering underlying causes of persistent pain in disease states. Such disease states can be modelled in animals using surgical procedures that, ethically, should involve administration of analgesia. However, since basic pain researchers often wish to measure pain-related events, animals may be denied peri-operative analgesia to avoid adversely influencing experimental outcomes. Methods: We conducted a structured review of peri-operative analgesia usage in rat spinal nerve ligation (SNL) and cancer-induced bone pain (CIBP) models. Using a combination of behavioural testing and in vivo electrophysiology in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord, we assessed the impact of peri-operative pregabalin on nociceptive behaviours in the acute recovery phase, and behavioural and electrophysiological experimental outcomes in the established phase, of rat SNL and CIBP models.Results: A literature search revealed that, for studies using rat models of SNL or CIBP, only 5.37 % and 12.69 % respectively reported the use of peri-operative analgesia. We then demonstrated that the use of pregabalin as a peri-operative analgesic reduced mechanical hypersensitivity in the acute period following SNL surgery, with no impact on behavioural, electrophysiological or neuropharmacological outcomes in the established phase of either model.Conclusions: This study challenges the basic science researcher’s reasoning that peri-operative analgesia confounds neurobiological outcomes. The use of peri-operative analgesia should be an important consideration to improve animal welfare in chronic models of pain.
  • Journal article
    Matthews S, Lau R, Giblin S, Sugar A, Di Maio A, Tassinie G, Huse K, Chorev D, Chen Y, Wu G, Berg Huemer C, Seung YK, Matthewsa J, Muloud B, Chen L, McKenna S, Xu Y, Massai L, Muzzie C, Ferhatie X, Necchie F, Gomes Moriel D, Feizi T, James P, Sriskandan Set al., 2026,

    , Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, ISSN: 0027-8424
  • Journal article
    Majumdar A, Kotta-Loizou I, Buck M, Roychowdhury Tet al., 2026,

    , J Hazard Mater, Vol: 512

    Climate change-induced warming and arsenic soil contamination synergistically threaten agricultural sustainability by restructuring microbial communities and accelerating antimicrobial resistance dissemination. Here, through integrated greenhouse and field trials, we demonstrate that Bacillus subtilis 168-derived biofilm and sublancin, a glycosylated antimicrobial peptide, simultaneously immobilise rhizospheric arsenic and suppress horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Temperature-dependent biofilm formation (25-35°C) enhanced arsenic sequestration within the extracellular polymeric substance matrix, with SEM-EDX revealing a 74% increase in arsenic weight percentage at 35°C and ToF-SIMS confirming ∼14-fold and ∼9-fold increases in root-associated arsenic on biofilm-colonised surfaces in greenhouse and field trials, respectively. Sublancin production peaked at 30°C (129.72痂g烊¹), selectively suppressing all 12 tested pathogenic Gram-positive species by 74-86% while preserving Gram-negative communities. Bio-amendment reduced horizontal gene transfer frequency by 74.7% (p<0.001) across all temperature regimes. Transcriptomic profiling revealed coordinated upregulation of exopolysaccharide biosynthesis (FDR ∼1.0× 10²) and sublancin machinery (sunA: +3.5疹og), alongside downregulation of conventional ARGs (vanA, blaTEM: -2.5 to -4.0疹og). These findings establish sublancin as a dual-function, climate-adaptive soil bio-amendment simultaneously addressing arsenic bioaccumulation and antibiotic resistance gene dissemination under warming scenarios.
  • Journal article
    Das A, Majumdar A, Thakur BK, Roychowdhury Tet al., 2026,

    , Water, Air, &amp; Soil Pollution, Vol: 237, ISSN: 0049-6979
  • Journal article
    Ribardo DA, Singh NK, Beeby M, Hendrixson DRet al., 2026,

    , Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, Vol: 123

    Campylobacter jejuni is an intestinal commensal of birds and animals and a leading cause of bacterial diarrheal disease in humans. In hosts, C. jejuni primarily resides in the mucus layer atop the lower intestinal epithelium. Persistence in this niche requires a single flagellar motor at both C. jejuni poles that generates high torque for flagellar rotation to facilitate motility and high swimming velocities. Unlike many bacterial flagellates, C. jejuni swimming velocity increases as external viscosity increases. We identified a complex formed by FlgV, VidA, and VidC (Cjj81176_1732) positioned near the MS-ring-rotor junction in the flagellar motor we annotated as the V-ring. Viscosity-influenced growth, modulation of swimming velocity, and transcription of iron/heme acquisition, respiratory, and energy-generating systems were dependent on the V-ring. C. jejuni ΔflgV and ΔvidC populations lacking a complete V-ring were motile, but could not optimally modulate swimming velocity. Like nonmotile flagellar stator or filament mutants, motile V-ring mutants had in vivo and in vitro growth and viability defects and dysregulated transcription of genes likely impacting physiology. Because the V-ring mutants behaved similarly as nonmotile mutants that experience little to no viscous drag on the filament, we propose C. jejuni V-ring mutants cannot detect viscous drag on their rotating filaments. We propose the V-ring evolved in C. jejuni and potentially other bacteria producing high torque flagellar motors to monitor external viscosity information via viscous drag on the rotating flagellar filament to adjust swimming velocity, transcription, and physiology for optimal fitness in different host lower intestinal niches.
  • Journal article
    Ferrando-Marco M, Berger S, Barkoulas M, 2026,

    , Genetics

    Asymmetric cell division in the epidermal stem cells of Caenorhabditis elegans, known as seam cells, relies on the Wnt/β-catenin asymmetry pathway to generate daughter cells with distinct fates. However, whether components of this pathway components are transcriptionally regulated during these divisions remains unclear. Here, we employ single molecule fluorescence in situ hybridisation to quantify mRNA distributions of key Wnt pathway components during L2 symmetric and asymmetric seam cell divisions. We find that transcripts encoding the negative regulators pry-1/Axin and apr-1/APC are enriched in posterior daughter cells, while those encoding the positive regulators sys-1/β-catenin, wrm-1/β-catenin, and lit-1/NLK, along with the transcription factor pop-1/TCF, are enriched in anterior daughter cells. Strikingly, molecular asymmetries are already evident following the L2 symmetric division, with anterior and posterior daughters exhibiting distinct levels of Wnt component expression and Wnt pathway activation. These mRNA distributions are surprising considering the established protein localisations that underpin the Wnt asymmetry model and suggest extensive post-divisional transcriptional regulation. We further demonstrate that pop-1 and pry-1 asymmetric expression partly depends on Wnt signalling activity. Investigation of protein distributions using knock-in reporters for PRY-1 and CAM-1 showed that protein accumulation patterns at L2 are consistent with transcript levels. Our findings uncover transcriptional feedback within the Wnt pathway that may reinforce robust fate specification and reveal molecular heterogeneity in seam cells with potential functional consequences for lineage behaviour.
  • Journal article
    Oliver TJ, Elias E, Consoli G, Leong HF, Cord籀n-Preciado V, Fantuzzi A, Cardona T, Rutherford AW, Croce Ret al., 2026,

    , Sci Adv, Vol: 12

    Oxygenic photosynthesis is usually limited to visible light, but the marine cyanobacterium Acaryochloris marina pushes this boundary by harvesting far-red photons with chlorophyll d. The best-studied strain, MBIC11017, unexpectedly lacks low-energy chlorophylls ("red forms") in photosystem I, limiting absorption beyond 740 nanometers. Here, we show that another strain, A. marina NIES-2412, has evolved a strategy to absorb far-red photons up to 760 nanometers. Combining time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy with cryo-electron microscopy at 2.64-angstrom resolution, we identify two distinct classes of chlorophyll d red forms in its photosystem I. One class originates from classical charge-transfer-exciton mixing, while the other arises purely from excitonic interactions. Mapping all 96 chlorophylls d reveals the precise pigments responsible for these far-red states. We also uncover a previously unreported subunit, PsaX2, which stabilizes the photosystem I complex and shapes pigment geometry and energetics to enable the formation of red forms. Last, we show that the protein modifications responsible for binding and tuning these red forms are widespread across the Acaryochloris genus but not within the model MBIC11017 strain. Far-red photons lie close to the energetic limit of oxygenic photosynthesis; their efficient use therefore requires fine-tuning of the photosynthetic machinery. To our knowledge, our findings provide the structural and mechanistic basis of one of the most red-shifted photosystem I complexes identified to date, highlighting a distinct adaptive strategy in far-red light environments and offering design principles for extending photosynthesis in crops into the infrared.
  • Journal article
    Biswas P, Mishra V, Sanchez-Garrido J, Frankel Get al., 2026,

    , Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology (CMGH), ISSN: 2352-345X

    Background & AimsPrior intestinal inflammation can leave durable immune and epithelial alterations, yet how these changes influence responses to subsequent injury remains unclear. Infectious and sterile colitis share core features, including barrier disruption and cytokine secretion. We therefore investigated whether the nature of the initial inflammatory event shapes protection or susceptibility during later intestinal insult.MethodsWe used reciprocal mouse models of Citrobacter rodentium (CR) infection and dextran sodium sulphate (DSS)-induced colitis to define how prior infectious versus sterile colitis shapes secondary disease. Barrier integrity, immune cell populations, cytokine production, and susceptibility to wild-type and CR mutants that cause limited epithelial barrier disruption were assessed.ResultsMice recovered from CR infection were protected against DSS-induced colitis, displaying reduced weight loss, preserved epithelial architecture, and lower inflammatory pathology. This protection required type III secretion system effector-mediated epithelial injury during primary infection and was associated with sustained IL-17A signalling, which contributed to the protective phenotype. In contrast, mice recovered from DSS colitis exhibited persistent epithelial barrier defects, chronic colonic neutrophilia, and heightened susceptibility to CR infection despite elevated IL-17A. Infection with CR mutants that cause minimal epithelial damage still resulted in severe disease in DSS-experienced mice, indicating that unresolved epithelial barrier dysfunction is a major contributor to vulnerability.ConclusionsThe nature of the primary colitis is associated with distinct epithelial and immune programs that persist beyond resolution of inflammation. Infectious colitis is associated with a protective mucosal state where IL-17A is a key contributor in a broader protective response, whereas sterile colitis is associated with persistent epithelial barrier dysfunction
  • Journal article
    Kim S, Matas-Gil A, Endres RG, 2026,

    , Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, Vol: 123

    Turing patterns are a cornerstone of biological self-organization, yet their emergence typically requires finely tuned parameters occupying narrow regions of high-dimensional space. This poses a fundamental challenge: how can evolving biological systems reliably find and exploit such rare conditions? In this work, we propose that common biochemical limit cycles, such as those arising from genetic feedback loops, can act as natural explorers of Turing space. By coupling a reaction-diffusion system to an orbit that modulates some of its parameters, we show that the system can dynamically sweep through Turing-permissive regimes and generate transient spatial patterns. We use an entropy-based measure in Fourier space to quantify pattern formation and demonstrate how cycles enhance the detectability and robustness of Turing islands. We further explore how coupling to positional gradients increases reproducibility, suggesting a route from oscillatory dynamics to stable developmental programs. Our results highlight a powerful mechanism by which nature might bootstrap complex spatial structure from simple temporal motifs.
  • Journal article
    Shenoy A, 2026,

    , EMBO Journal, ISSN: 0261-4189
  • Journal article
    Ba W, Harding E, Nollet M, Tossell K, Li-Li L, Wong S, Anuncibary Soto B, Yustos R, Ostaszewska J, Zeilhofer H, Vyssotski A, Coutney M, William W, Franks Net al., 2026,

    , Current Biology, Vol: 36, Pages: 2823-2839.e4, ISSN: 0960-9822

    How the brain compensates for sleep deprivation (SD) by generating recovery sleep (RS) is not understood. Using Ca² photometry, we identified a WAKE/rapid eye movement sleep (REMS)-active somatostatin/parvalbumin GABAergic population in the mouse brainstem oral pontine reticular nucleus (PnOVgat). Following SD, PnOVgat cells transiently switched for the first hour to higher activity during non-REMS (NREMS), promoting RS. Chemogenetic activation of PnOVgat neurons prolonged NREMS, whereas ablation blunted electroencephalogram (EEG) delta power rebound and slowed RS accumulation. During RS, the selective switch of PnOVgat cells to having higher Ca2+ levels in NREMS correlated with elevated levels of synaptic proteins PSD95, activated calmodulin-dependent kinase II CaMKII (pCaMKII T286), activated PKA (pPKA T197), and GluA1-containing AMPA receptor subunits with enhanced serine phosphorylation. All increases started during SD and persisted after the first hour of RS. Patch-clamp recordings demonstrated increased postsynaptic AMPA/sleep homeostasis (NMDA) receptor ratios in PnOVgat cells 1 h after RS, indicating increased excitability and greater capacity to drive RS. In contrast, an intermingled population of GABA/glycinergic neurons did not respond to SD, despite having similar baseline WAKE/REMS activities and an ability to promote NREMS. The PnO also contained an intermingled population of excitatory PnOVglut2 WAKE/REMS-active neurons; lesioning them caused hypoactivity, but sleep or WAKE amounts were unaffected. The synaptic homeostasis hypothesis (SHY) proposes that as wakefulness progresses, synaptic AMPA receptor activity is enhanced, and subsequently downregulated during NREMS to rebalance circuit function. We suggest that a variation of SHY implements catching up on lost sleep, with glutamate receptor plasticity in the PnO tracking time awake and adjusting NREMS amounts accordingly.
  • Journal article
    Leong M, Consoli G, Davis G, Hancox-Lachman B, Renard K, Tufail F, Lee LE, Gautier L, Murray JW, Fantuzzi A, Rutherford AWet al., 2026,

    , Nature Communications, ISSN: 2041-1723

    Far-red light photoacclimation enables some cyanobacteria to survive in white-light-depleted environments by extending the red limit of photosynthesis. In far-red Photosystem II, paralogous subunits replace their canonical counterparts, allowing the incorporation of some chlorophyll f molecules and one chlorophyll d that are red-shifted and spectrally distinct from the chlorophyll a manifold, and from each other. Here, we present a comparative study of far-red Photosystem II from Chroococcidiopsis thermalis PCC 7203 and Calothrix sp. NIES-3974. In C. thermalis, the cryo-electron microscopy structure reveals the far-red-exclusive subunit, PsbH2’, which forms part of a chlorophyll f binding site. We also assign four chlorophyll f sites using sequence comparisons and electrostatic potential analyses. In Calothrix, psbH2’ is absent, and the same analyses show that only two of these chlorophyll f sites are present. Comparative phylogenetic, structural, and spectroscopic analyses allow the assignment of specific wavelengths to all the red-shifted chlorophylls. This provides the framework needed to model excitation energy transfer in far-red Photosystem II, and to understand the conserved features that allow survival under far-red light.
  • Journal article
    Liseth O, Appleton E, Kendall B, Thompson J, Sangsuwannukul T, Tonne J, Diaz RM, Evgin L, Patrikeev A, Sarbia N, Foo S, Harrington K, Ono M, Melcher A, Vile Ret al., 2026,

    , Sci Adv, Vol: 12

    Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy faces many challenges against solid tumors including T cell exhaustion and poor CAR durability. Here, we show that engaging the CAR T cell endogenous T cell receptor (TCR) using an oncolytic virus enhances CAR T cell functionality, durability, and therapy. Upon combination therapy of solid tumors with CAR T cells and vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), a subpopulation of antiviral, TCR-primed CAR T cells was generated with enhanced effector functions, altered activation states, and differential gene and protein expression when compared to non-TCR-primed CAR T cells. Single-cell RNA sequencing showed clonal expansion of anti-VSV CAR T cells and enhancement of effector-associated genes with VSV-mediated CAR T cell expansion. CD4 T cells played a pivotal role in the development of these TCR-primed CAR T cells. These results provide a strong rationale both for a novel use of systemic oncolytic virotherapy and for directly exploiting the CAR T cell TCR to fine tune the CAR T cell phenotype and function.
  • Journal article
    Madhuprakash J, Toghani A, Pai H, Harvey M, Bentham AR, Seager BA, Yuen ELH, De la Concepci籀n JC, Lawson DM, Stevenson CEM, Vergara-Cruces A, Derevnina L, Bozkurt TO, Banfield MJ, Kamoun S, Contreras MPet al., 2026,

    , Sci Adv, Vol: 12

    Pathogens counteract central nodes of NLR immune receptor networks to suppress immunity. However, the mechanisms by which pathogens hijack helper NLR pathways are poorly understood. We show that an effector from the late blight pathogen Phytophthora infestans interacts with the host protein NbTOL9a and a helper NLR to suppress immunity. We solved the crystal structure of the RXLR-LWY effector AVRcap1b in complex with the ENTH domain of NbTOL9a. The structure revealed that, unlike other RXLR-LWY effectors, AVRcap1b has a previously unidentified L-shaped fold that defines a distinct structural family of effectors in the genus Phytophthora. We defined the AVRcap1b/NbTOL9a binding interface and designed effector mutants that do not bind NbTOL9a, impairing immune suppression. This suggests that ENTH binding is required for full virulence activity. Last, we show that AVRcap1b associates specifically with activated NbNRC2 independently of NbTOL9a binding. We propose a model in which the effector interconnects NbNRC2 with the NbTOL9a pathway. Our results illustrate a previously uncharacterized pathogen mechanism to hijack NLR pathways and suppress immunity.
  • Journal article
    Okumu FO, Finda M, Odero JO, Aboagye-Antwi F, Adeogun A, Atta-Obeng C, Baldini F, Bouyer J, Burkot TR, Churcher TS, Dadzie SK, Diabat矇 A, Ferguson HM, Govella NJ, Habtewold T, Hancock PA, Kahamba N, Kaindoa EW, Kayondo JK, Lawniczak MKN, Lobo NF, Lwetoijera D, Maiga H, Marrenjo D, Marshall JM, Matoke-Muhia D, Mgaya JN, Msaky DS, Urio N, Munhenga G, Muyaga L, Mwalimu CD, Mwanga EP, Ngowo H, Ochomo E, Ogoma S, Okonjo E, Opiyo M, Ramaita E, Reddy MR, Salum S, Santos M, Sedda L, Seethaler T, Selvaraj P, Sikulu-Lord MT, Siria D, Tarimo B, Tatarsky A, Tchouakui M, Thomsen EK, Tonui W, Tripet F, Wiener S, Windbichler N, Wondji CS, Nolan T, James Set al., 2026,

    , Trends in Parasitology, Vol: 42, Pages: 463-493, ISSN: 1471-4922

    Gene-drive mosquitoes could transform malaria control in Africa, but their rapid, autonomous spread requires rigorous post-release monitoring. Most malaria-endemic countries already conduct some entomological surveillance, although it is often limited, fragmented, and externally funded. Molecular diagnostics are also expanding but remain mostly research focused and ad hoc. These imperfect systems offer workable foundations for strategic upgrades to support essential gene-drive monitoring. Priority investments should strengthen field-entomology, high-throughput genotyping for drive alleles and resistance, technical expertise, and integrated data for decision-making. Fortunately, first-generation gene drives already align with common phenotyping and genotyping workflows, avoiding major infrastructure overhauls, and permit simpler evaluation metrics than conventional interventions. This feature review examines key technical and operational considerations for monitoring gene drives and recommends how countries can adapt their vector surveillance systems to effectively monitor gene-drive mosquito releases.
  • Journal article
    Maretvadakethope S, Perez-Carrasco R, 2026,

    , Current Opinion in Systems Biology, Vol: 44

    Small gene regulatory networks (GRNs) are well-established biological modules that underpin cellular decisions and dynamical function. Their theoretical understanding has largely been shaped by the motif idea, which links simple network wiring patterns to behaviours. This approach has been extremely influential, providing a clear and widely used language for regulatory logic, facilitating the understanding of behaviours such as bistability, ultra-sensitivity, or oscillations. However, a growing body of theoretical and experimental work now challenges the idea that circuit behaviour is fully determined by topology alone, revealing that even very small GRNs can exhibit much richer dynamics once molecular implementation, stochasticity, and upstream modulation are taken into account. Recent advances show that the timing, precision, and reversibility of cell-fate decisions depend critically on signal history, noise structure, and molecular context, even in minimal circuits. Furthermore, there is growing evidence that small GRNs support a wide range of non-canonical dynamical behaviours including mushroom and isola bifurcations, hybrid oscillatory–switching regimes, and pronounced critical slowing down, substantially expanding their functional repertoire without increasing topological complexity. Crucially, these behaviours are highly sensitive to how regulation is implemented at the molecular level: distinct promoter architectures, regulatory logics, and stochastic mechanisms—often hidden by standard Hill-function descriptions—can qualitatively reshape circuit dynamics, requiring an explicit link between abstract network structure and specific biophysical processes. Together, these results expose fundamental limits to inferring function from topology alone or to reconstructing mechanisms from expression data. Rather than simplified motifs, Small GRNs still provide a uniquely powerful setting in which to explore these open questions in order to progress
  • Journal article
    Cretois B, Rosten CM, Wiel J, Barile C, McEwen B, Bernard C, Boom MP, Bota G, Brotons L, Serrano-Davies E, Glotin H, Kissling WD, Marxer R, P矇rez-Granados C, Stowell D, Villero D, van Zweden JS, Sethi Set al., 2026,

    , Methods in Ecology and Evolution, Vol: 17, Pages: 1867-1879

    Ecological surveys are often fragmented, costly and limited in scale, leading to large and long-standing knowledge gaps which threaten our ability to properly safeguard biodiversity. Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) has promised to deliver automated biodiversity monitoring, but networks are rarely deployed on scales that can offer truly novel insights due to scalability and standardization challenges around collecting, managing, analysing and sharing data. Here we present the Transnational Acoustic Biodiversity Monitoring Network (TABMON), a standardized deployment of 108 autonomous sensors across Norway, the Netherlands, France and Spain along a continental bird migration route. Audio is recorded continuously, uploaded in near real-time and processed through an automated analysis pipeline designed to support expert validation and the generation of datasets for deriving Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs). TABMON provides a methodological blueprint for transnational, networked PAM deployments and highlights both the opportunities and current limitations of near real-time acoustic biodiversity monitoring at continental scales.
  • Journal article
    Maia R, Barbosa M, Negreiros D, Fernandes GW, Malhi Y, Aguirre-Guti矇rrez Jet al., 2026,

    , Ecography, Vol: 2026, ISSN: 0906-7590

    Projected warming and drying raise concerns about the resilience of stress-adapted ecosystems, including the Brazilian Campo Rupestre, an exceptionally biodiverse mountaintop grassland mosaic on ancient, nutrient-poor substrates. Here, we combine field-based trait data and long-term remote sensing to assess the functional structure and temporal dynamics of these communities. Using foliar trait measurements from 247 vegetation plots across five contrasting habitats, we 1) quantify contemporary community-level functional structure, 2) evaluate how edaphic and climatic filters shape spatial variation in community-weighted foliar traits, and 3) reconstruct multi-decadal trait trajectories by hindcasting from long-term Landsat reflectance (1984–2022). Contemporary communities occupy a narrow and predominantly conservative region of the leaf-economic trait spectrum, yet habitats differ in their functional positions within CSR strategy space, indicating non-uniform trait coordination despite overall conservatism. Soil texture and acidity define the primary conservative–acquisitive axis of trait variation, while climatic water balance acts as a secondary modulator; together, these predictors explain 39% of the spatial variation in community-weighted traits. Contrary to expectations of increasing conservatism under progressive climatic stress, Landsat-based hindcasts reveal only modest temporal reorganisation. Specific leaf area and leaf area increase across habitats, while leaf dry matter content declines slightly, indicating a subtle relaxation of conservative trait expression. Temporal changes are small relative to the pronounced spatial differentiation, suggesting strong functional inertia in this OCBIL system. Overall, Campo Rupestre communities persist within a conservative functional domain while exhibiting fine-scale, habitat-dependent differentiation structured by enduring soil and water-balance gradients.
  • Journal article
    Frankel G, 2026,

    Phospholipid-1 independent biogenesis and function of the RP4 conjugation pilus

    , Nature Communications, ISSN: 2041-1723
  • Journal article
    Gan W, Alizadeh N, Best M, Vidale P, Prentice C, Harrison SPet al., 2026,

    , New Phytologist, Vol: 250, Pages: 2884-2899, ISSN: 0028-646X

    The optimal temperature of net photosynthesis (Topt) generally increases with plant growth temperature. Changes in Topt are associated with changes in the maximum carboxylation capacity at 25 °C (Vcmax25) and the maximum electron transport rate at 25 °C (Jmax25). The ratio between Jmax25 and Vcmax25 declines with warming. Accurate representation of leaf-level photosynthetic responses to temperature is essential for realistic projections of the terrestrial carbon cycle and its response to ongoing climate changes. However, many land-surface models incorporate thermal acclimation through empirical approaches and through assigning distinct but static parameter values to plant functional types (PFTs). Eco-evolutionary optimality approaches provide a simpler way of modelling photosynthesis without recourse to PFTs. Here we use the sub-daily P model, an eco-evolutionary optimality-based model of photosynthesis that explicitly separates the instantaneous and acclimated responses of photosynthetic parameters to temperature to investigate how optimal temperature changes with growth temperature, as represented by leaf or air temperature. We show that the simulated responses are consistent with observations from both controlled experiments and eddy-covariance flux tower data. We show that changes in Topt, and in the assimilation rate at Topt, are caused by changes in carboxylation capacity and electron transport rate that follow directly from the hypotheses underlying the model.
  • Journal article
    Gider Yaman G, Bozkurt O, Akgun E, Eser Simsek I, Serce Pehlevan O, Gunlemez Aet al., 2026,

    , Indian J Pediatr
  • Journal article
    Silvar-Viladomiu P, Cavan EL, Martin AH, Bentley JW, Hill SL, Reid DGet al., 2026,

    , ICES Journal of Marine Science, Vol: 83, ISSN: 1054-3139

    The marine biological carbon cycle plays a crucial role in the sinking and sequestration of atmospheric carbon and in regulating the global climate. Most existing research on biological carbon sequestration has focused on the role of oceanic (off-shelf) species and processes. We know little about how species living on continental shelves contribute to and influence carbon sinks due to the complex dynamics of biological and physical transport processes. However, continental shelves often have high levels of carbon productivity and a high potential for disturbance from human activities such as fishing, which strongly impact fish communities. Fish are important components of ecosystems that interact with the biological carbon cycle. Here, we used an Ecopath with Ecosim food web model of the Irish Sea coupled with biogeochemical equations to provide a novel quantitative assessment of the contribution of the fish community to the annual carbon reaching the continental-shelf seafloor over a four-decade simulation (1973–2016). Similar to the open ocean, faecal pellets dominated estimates of fish-mediated carbon flux in the Irish Sea. Our simulations imply that pelagic fish contribute more than half of the fish-mediated carbon, equivalent to approximately 2% of the plankton-mediated carbon deposited on the seafloor. Our results provide the first quantitative assessment and early insights into the relationship between fish species and the biological carbon sink in a shelf ecosystem.
  • Journal article
    Keskin Erdogan Z, Desai K, Baldwin GS, Polizzi KMet al., 2026,

    , Trends Biotechnol, Vol: 44, Pages: 1576-1588

    The emerging field of biosensors exploits the abilities of cells to identify specific molecules, presenting improved sensitivity, specificity, and limit of detection. Whole-cell biosensors (WCB) are organisms specifically engineered to detect a target analyte and express a reporter in response. In biomanufacturing, they can be used for monitoring of key substrate and metabolite concentrations or strain engineering, while in medicine, they can be used to diagnose disease or report on human-microbe interactions. Many applications require WCB to coexist with mammalian cells where a key challenge is to keep separate cell populations viable while still allowing them to interact. In this review, we highlight key considerations when encapsulating WCB to engineer controlled microenvironments that enable collaboration and coexistence of different populations.
  • Journal article
    Wang H-Y, Yuen ELH, Chen Y-F, Chiang B-J, Vuolo C, Jenkins SL, King FJ, Lee K-T, Goh F-J, Ibrahim TE, Bozkurt TO, Wu C-Het al., 2026,

    , New Phytol, Vol: 250, Pages: 3247-3263

    The nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat protein (NLR) required for cell death (NRC) family represents a group of helper NLRs that are required by sensor NLRs to execute hypersensitive cell death during pathogen infection. NRCs contain an N-terminal coiled-coil (CC) domain essential for their function, yet our knowledge of how this domain contributes to NRC function remains limited. Using site-directed mutagenesis and transient expression in Nicotiana benthamiana, we screened conserved hydrophobic residues among NRCs and identified seven required for NRC4-mediated cell death, revealing a hydrophobic feature within the CC domain that contributes to NRC-mediated immunity. Structural analysis revealed that four of these residues form a hydrophobic core in the CC domain. This hydrophobic core is important for NRC4 subcellular localization, oligomerization, and phospholipid association, but not for NRC4 focal accumulation at the extrahaustorial membrane during Phytophthora infestans infection. Sequence analysis and functional assays revealed that this core is highly conserved in NRCs and some singleton NLRs but has degenerated in NRC-dependent sensor NLRs. Our study identifies a hydrophobic feature in the CC domain of NRCs and reveals its contribution to NLR-mediated immunity.
  • Journal article
    Bick IA, Bakkestuen V, Cretois B, Hillier BV, K疇l疇s JA, ien IJ, Pedersen M, Raja K, Rosten CM, Somveille M, Stokke BG, Wiel J, Sethi SSet al., 2026,

    , Communications Biology, ISSN: 2399-3642

    Billions of birds migrate annually, triggered by endogenous behaviors but also by ecoclimatic drivers which are shifting with climate change. These dynamics play out over huge spatiotemporal scales, making monitoring of phenology challenging with traditional biodiversity survey approaches. In this study, over a complete spring migration season (April through June), we collected 37,429 hours of audio from 28 networked sensors in forests across Norway using a nationwide passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) system. We applied an open-source detection algorithm to automatically classify bird vocalizations; through expert validation we found the algorithm classified 57 species (14 full migrants) with at least 80% precision. Using these automated detections, we developed regional arrival curves for three common migratory passerines: Willow Warbler, Common Chiffchaff, and Spotted Flycatcher. We then demonstrate that PAM detections can be used to train audio species distribution models that map how species vocalization probability changes across Norway during spring migration. Lastly, we discuss how PAM can complement existing manual surveys to support the design and implementation of effective policy and conservation measures.
  • Journal article
    Endres RG, 2026,

    , Phys Biol, Vol: 23

    Bacterial chemotaxis has long been viewed as operating near the physical limits of sensing, as originally articulated by Berg and Purcell. Recent information-theoretic analyses challenge this view, suggesting thatEscherichia coliuses only a small fraction of the information available in ligand arrival statistics to bias its motion. How should such low information efficiency be interpreted at the level of behavior? Here, I argue that chemotactic performance is shaped not only by information transmission and noise, but by the strategy of movement itself. Using simple scaling arguments and minimal models, I show how run-and-tumble chemotaxis can remain robust to noise through symmetry and temporal averaging, even when internal information processing is inefficient. Comparing bacterial and eukaryotic chemotaxis highlights how different sensing strategies convert physical limits into observable behavior. These considerations suggest that low information efficiency need not imply poor performance, but may instead reflect an evolved balance between robustness, simplicity, and function.
  • Journal article
    Paracuellos P, Bexter A, Patkowski JB, Kelly SD, Omelchenko O, Mac矇 K, Ilangovan A, Subramoni S, Whitney JC, Filloux A, Costa TRDet al., 2026,

    , Nature Microbiology, ISSN: 2058-5276

    Type VI secretion systems (T6SSs) are widespread bacterial nanomachines that deliver effectors into prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. How an effector cargo is recruited and loaded into the Hcp ring assemblies that form the tube injected by the T6SS remains poorly understood. Pseudomonas aeruginosa has four T6SSs, each associated with a different Hcp protein. Here we use cryo-electron microscopy to resolve the structure of the Tce1 cargo loaded into a Hcp3 ring from the P. aeruginosa H3-T6SS. We show that a single Tce1 monomer interacts asymmetrically with, and is enclosed by, two hexameric Hcp3 rings, engaging key residues lining the inner surface of the Hcp3 disc. Our data indicate a stepwise loading mechanism, where an initial heterodimeric Hcp–cargo complex forms before ring encapsulation around the effector. Structural modelling suggests similar effector–Hcp3 interactions for a second T6SS effector, Tce2, which has antifungal activity. We propose that this mechanism enables coordinated delivery of a broad payload into target cells.
  • Journal article
    Sandoval Calle D, Flo V, Morfopoulos C, Prentice ICet al., 2026,

    , New Phytologist, ISSN: 0028-646X

    Historically, terrestrial biosphere models (TBMs) have assigned the intrinsic (maximum) quantum yield of photosynthesis () a constant value for each plant functional type. However, experimental studies have shown that – when measured on light adapted leaves – depends on temperature. It is unclear whether this dependence is universal or biome-specific; how it is manifested at the ecosystem level; and how it should be represented in TBMs. By fitting empirical light-response curves to a global set of eddy-covariance CO2 flux measurements and correcting for photorespiration, we inferred apparent, ecosystem level values and their temperature responses across a wide range of environments. The temperature response of apparent ecosystem-level follows a universal bell shaped curve. The shape of this curve does not markedly differ among biomes, but the maximum value of decreases with increasing aridity, its temperature optimum increases with increasing growth temperature, and its sensitivity to temperature increases as growth temperature declines. Our model for () aligns with recent theory highlighting the role of cytochrome b6f in regulating the light reactions of photosynthesis. If implemented in TBMs, this model should allow better predictions of the responses of terrestrial ecosystem function to a warming climate.

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