Category: 7. Science

  • Mobiluncus mulieris alters the transcriptomic profile of cervicovaginal epithelial cells, shedding light on molecular drivers of adverse reproductive outcomes

    Mobiluncus mulieris alters the transcriptomic profile of cervicovaginal epithelial cells, shedding light on molecular drivers of adverse reproductive outcomes

    Viability of M. mulieris in culture

    We tracked the viability of M. mulieris cells from the sample preparation steps up to 24 h after incubation in a CO2 incubator, as this is critical to interpret the impact of M. mulieris cell exposure. The viability of M. mulieris was maintained during the sample preparation (1.5 × 108 CFU/mL at T2, 1.1 × 108 CFU/mL at T3) compared to the original bacterial culture (1.9 × 108 CFU/mL at T1; Supplementary Fig. 1). However, 24 h of incubation in a CO2 incubator led to a 100-fold reduction in the viable CFU count (9.7 × 105 CFU/mL, T4).

    M. mulieris live bacteria, BFS, and bEVs significantly altered gene expression in cervicovaginal epithelial cells

    Exposure to live M. mulieris, their BFS, or bEV resulted in significant changes in gene expression in Ect, End, and VK2 epithelial cells (Supplementary Data 1–9). Among these, bEV exposure induced the highest number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) (Live: 13, 44, 13; BFS: 33, 116, 69; bEV: 210, 381, 313 in Ect, End, VK2, respectively; Table 1). Most DEGs were upregulated, with pathway over-representation analysis revealing broader pathway alterations in bEV-exposed cells compared to exposure to live M. mulieris cells or their BFS (Fig. 1a, Supplementary Fig. 2). Common DEGs across all exposures (13, 41, and 13 common DEGs from Ect, End, and VK2; Fig. 1b–d, Supplementary Data 10) were SAA1, BIRC3, CXCL10, MMP9, and TNFAIP3. bEV exposure uniquely altered 179, 274, and 252 DEGs in Ect, End, and VK2 cells, respectively, with a significant enrichment in immune system-related pathways: Cytokine Signaling in Immune System, Signaling by Interleukins, and Interferon alpha/beta Signaling (Supplementary Data 11).

    Fig. 1: Overview of pathway over-representation analysis and DEGs results under different M. mulieris exposures.

    a Heatmap showing the number of entities associated with each main pathway category in the network view of the pathway over-representation analysis. Color intensity is proportional to the number of entities in each pathway, with darker colors representing higher numbers of entities. Venn diagrams representing the number of DEGs identified in response to three M. mulieris exposure in b Ect, c End, and d VK2 cell lines.

    Table 1 DEGs identified under three M. mulieris exposures

    M. mulieris live bacteria, BFS, and bEVs altered more genes in vaginal compared to cervical epithelial cells

    Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was first used to understand the impact of M. mulieris on pathways at the highest hierarchical level (Fig. 2a). GSEA revealed that VK2 cells tended to exhibit the highest pathway FCs in response to M. mulieris exposures, with bEV exposure tending to result in the largest FCs compared to exposure to live bacteria and BFS (Fig. 2a). The three pathways with the highest FC with significant p values after M. mulieris bEV exposure (Supplementary Data 12) were cell-cell communication (overall FC = 1.14), ECM organization (overall FC = 1.13), and immune system (overall FC = 1.12) in VK2 cells.

    Fig. 2: GSEA, pathway analysis, and their DEGs for key biological pathways.
    figure 2

    a A summary of the results from GSEA, visualizing the impact of M. mulieris on pathways at the highest hierarchical level. Fold changes (FCs) were calculated by comparing to the control group. Only cell line and exposure sets showing significant alterations are included in the plot. Different shapes represent cell lines (circle for Ect, square for End, and triangle for VK2), and colors represent the three M. mulieris exposures (orange for live, blue for BFS, and green for bEV exposure). b Heatmap showing the sub-pathways under the main pathway “Cell-cell communication” and c the DEGs involved in these sub-pathways. d Heatmap for sub-pathways under “Extracellular matrix organization” and e the DEGs involved in these sub-pathways. f Heatmap for sub-pathways under the “Immune system” and g the DEGs involved in these sub-pathways. For all heatmaps, darker colors indicate higher FC compared to the control group. Annotations representing significant alterations are visualized while non-significant changes are left blank (white) in the plots, and p values from VK2 treated with M. mulieris bEV group are summarized in Supplementary Data 13 (pathways) and Supplementary Data 14 (DEGs).

    Under the cell-cell communication pathway, the sub-pathways cell-junction organization (FC = 1.1) and signal regulatory protein family interactions (FC = 1.3) were significantly overexpressed in VK2 cells exposed to M. mulieris bEVs (Fig. 2b; p values are summarized in Supplementary Data 13). Key DEGs involved included CLDN1 (FC = 1.2), SIRPB1 (FC = 1.1), and ZC3H12A (FC = 1.6) (Fig. 2c; p values are summarized in Supplementary Data 14). Under the ECM organization pathway, exposure to live M. mulieris, BFS, and bEV significantly impacted collagen formation, non-integrin membrane ECM interactions, ECM degradation, and integrin cell surface interactions in Ect and VK2 cells (Fig. 2d). In contrast, End cells were predominantly affected by bEV exposure, except for collagen formation, which was altered by all three exposures. Specifically, bEV exposure significantly increased the expression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) gene family, including MMP9 (FC = 2.9), MMP1 (FC = 1.7), MMP10 (FC = 2.0), MMP13 (FC = 1.1), and MMP19 (FC = 1.2) in VK2 cells (Fig. 2e). Additionally, gene involved in collagen formation and degradation, such as COL12A1 (FC = 1.5) and CTSS (FC = 1.4), and other ECM-related genes (ICAM1, FC = 1.8; FGF2, FC = 1.4; PDGFB, FC = 1.5) were significantly upregulated in VK2 cells following bEV exposure.

    Under the immune system pathway, all three M. mulieris exposures primarily affected innate immune system and cytokine signaling pathways, rather than adaptive immune system pathways, particularly in VK2 cells (Fig. 2f). Among the innate immune system sub-pathways, all exposures significantly elevated TLR cascades, NLR signaling pathways, and DDX58/IFIH1-mediated induction of interferon alpha/beta in all three epithelial cell lines. The antimicrobial peptides pathway was elevated in Ect and End cells.

    Among the cytokine signaling sub-pathways, signaling by interleukins and growth hormone receptor signaling were significantly altered by all exposures in the three epithelial cell lines. In contrast, Interferon signaling and CSF3 signaling pathways’ activation were specific to End cells. In VK2 cells, bEV exposure significantly upregulated key DEGs associated with these pathways, including: Innate immune pathways: TLR signaling (TLR2, FC = 1.5), NLR signaling (BIRC3, FC = 2.9; IRAK2, FC = 1.8; MEFV, FC = 1.1; NFKB2, FC = 1.5; NLRP3, FC = 1.3; TNFAIP3, FC = 2.6), DDX58/IFIH1-mediated interferon induction (NFKBIA, FC = 1.6; S100A12, FC = 1.3), and antimicrobial peptides pathway (LCN2, FC = 1.7; S100A7, FC = 1.1); Cytokine signaling and signaling by interleukins pathways: Signaling by interleukins (CCL20, FC = 1.5; CXCL8/IL-8, FC = 2.2; IL-24, FC = 1.5; SAA1, FC = 2.4; SERPINEB2, FC = 1.8; TNF, FC = 1.2); and Growth hormone receptor signaling: SOCS1 (FC = 1.3) (Fig. 2g).

    TLR2 signaling mediated an inflammatory response to M. mulieris exposures

    Given the diverse immune response elicited by live M. mulieris, its BFS, and bEVs, we sought to assess whether this response was dependent on the activation of TLR212, and/or TLR5 through its flagellin, as would be suggested by the microbial structure8. We used TLR blockades to determine if the induction of select immune mediators (IL-6, IL-8, CCL20), which were found to be upregulated in the RNA-seq analysis (Fig. 2g), was dependent on TLR2 and/or TLR5 activation. Consistent with the RNA-seq analysis findings, live M. mulieris, its BFS, and bEVs all increased the protein levels of the three immune mediators. However, there were differences in the responses by cell type and between the different bacterial exposures.

    Exposure to live M. mulieris increased all three immune mediators in End and VK2 cells, with no significant changes observed in Ect cells (Fig. 3a–c). In End cells, TLR2 blockade significantly reduced the M. mulieris-induced immune mediators. Blockade of TLR5 also limited the ability of M. mulieris to induce an immune response, resulting in a significant reduction in IL-6 and IL-8 levels. While live M. mulieris increased IL-6, IL-8, and CCL20 levels in VK2 cells, the immune response was not as robust as observed in Ect or End cells. Only TLR2 blockade reduced IL-8 levels, and it did not affect IL-6 or CCL20 levels induced by live M. mulieris exposure in VK2 cells. Notably, TLR5 blockade did not significantly reduce any immune mediator levels in VK2 cells exposed to live M. mulieris.

    Fig. 3: Measurement of inflammation markers in Ect, End, and VK2 cells in response to M. mulieris (MM) exposure with or without hTLR2 and/or hTLR5 inhibitors.
    figure 3

    a IL-6, b IL-8, and c CCL20 levels in response to live M. mulieris exposure; d IL-6, e IL-8, and f CCL20 levels in response to BFS M. mulieris exposure; g IL-6, h IL-8, and i CCL20 levels in response to bEV M. mulieris exposure. The inhibitors for hTLR2 and hTLR5 are written as TLR2i and TLR5i. Bar plots represent the mean, the error bars for the standard deviation, and the dots represent the technical replicate (n = 3). One-way ANOVA was used, followed by Tukey’s multiple comparison test, with statistical significance denoted by “*” (p < 0.05), “**” (p < 0.01), “***” (p < 0.001), “****” (p < 0.0001).

    M. mulieris BFS significantly increased IL-8 in Ect cells (Fig. 3d), all three mediators in Endo cells (Fig. 3e), and IL-8 and CCL20 in VK2 cells (Fig. 3f). In Ect cells, both TLR2 and TLR5 blockades significantly reduced IL-8 levels. In End cells, both TLR2 and TLR5 blockade reduced all three mediator levels, where statistical significance was observed for the reduction in all three mediators by TLR2 blockade and IL-6 and CCL20 levels by TLR5 blockade. In VK2 cells, the TLR2 blockade did not significantly reduce the levels of the immune mediators, but the TLR5 blockade significantly reduced the IL-8 and CCL20 levels. The combination of TLR2 and TLR5 blockades demonstrated a synergistic effect, reaching statistical significance for IL-8 and CCL20 levels in all cell lines and IL-6 levels in Ect and End cells.

    M. mulieris bEVs significantly elevated the three immune mediators across the three cell lines (Fig. 3g–i). TLR2 blockade was sufficient to significantly reduce IL-6 and CCL20 levels in Ect cells, as well as IL-8 and CCL20 levels in End cells, with no significant impact from TLR5 blockade. In VK2 cells, TLR2 blockade significantly reduced IL-8 levels, and both TLR2 and TLR5 blockade significantly reduced CCL20 levels. An additive effect of TLR2 and TLR5 blockades was observed for IL-8 in all three epithelial cell lines.

    As a quality control measure, neither TLR2 nor TLR5 blockades affected baseline immune mediators’ expression in any cell line (Supplementary Fig. 3a–c), except for a significant, but minor increase in CCL20 levels in Ect cells following TLR2 blockade compared to the control group, with a mean increase of only 10.5 pg/mL.

    MMP9 production is induced by M. mulieris via TLR signaling

    A key finding from the RNA-seq analysis was that M. mulieris increased expression of MMP9, a matrix metalloproteinase involved in ECM degradation and previously associated with PTB22. Since RNA-seq data showed that live M. mulieris, its BFS, and bEVs significantly upregulated MMP9 gene expression in all cervicovaginal epithelial cells tested in this study (Fig. 2e), we sought to determine whether any M. mulieris exposures also altered MMP9 protein levels by measuring the total MMP9 (including both active and inactive forms). We found that exposure to live M. mulieris, BFS, and bEV significantly increased MMP9 protein levels in VK2 cell culture supernatant (Fig. 4a–c), while MMP9 levels in Ect and End cells remained below the detection limit. No change in MMP9 production was noted with exposure to L. crispatus, an optimal vaginal bacterium (Supplementary Fig. 4).

    Fig. 4: In vitro analysis of MMP9 protein expression in response to live, BFS, and bEV M. mulieris (MM) exposures.
    figure 4

    MMP9 protein levels were measured in the culture media of VK2 cells exposed to a live, b BFS, and c bEV M. mulieris exposures, with and without the addition of hTLR2 and/or hTLR5 inhibitors (denoted as TLR2i and TLR5i). One-way ANOVA was used to compare MMP9 concentrations between groups. For statistically significant results (p < 0.05), post-hoc tests were applied. d MMP9 protein levels measured in the culture media of THP1 wild-type cells in response to d live, e bEV, and f BFS M. mulieris exposures. Unpaired t-tests were used to compare MMP9 concentrations between control and M. mulieris exposures. g MMP9 protein levels measured in the culture media of THP1 wild type and THP-TLR2KO exposed to g live and h bEV. mulieris exposures. White bars represent the results from THP1 cells, and black bars represent the results from THP1-TLR2KO cells. Bar plots represent the mean, the error bars for the standard deviation, and the dots represent the technical replicate (n = 3). Two-way ANOVA was applied to assess the impact of TLR2 knockout. The statistical significance was denoted by “*” (p < 0.05), “**” (p < 0.01), and “***” (p < 0.001).

    The increase in MMP9 by live M. mulieris was significantly reduced by TLR2 blockade but not by TLR5 blockade (Fig. 4a). In contrast, the increase in MMP9 by M. mulieris BFS was significantly reduced by TLR5 blockade and, to a lesser extent, by TLR2 blockade (Fig. 4b). The combination of TLR2 and TLR5 blockades further decreased the MMP9 levels induced by M. mulieris BFS. The increase in MMP9 by M. mulieris bEVs was only significantly reduced when both TLR2 and TLR5 blockades were combined (Fig. 4c).

    As a quality control measure, we confirmed that the addition of TLR2 and/or TLR5 inhibitors did not alter baseline MMP9 protein expression (Supplementary Fig. 3d).

    To confirm the role of TLR2 in mediating M. mulieris-induced MMP9 production, we assessed MMP9 levels following exposure to live M. mulieris cells, BFS, and bEV in THP1 wild-type and THP1 TLR2-deficient cells (THP1-TLR2KO). Exposures to both live M. mulieris (Fig. 4d) and bEV M. mulieris (Fig. 4e), but not BFS (Fig. 4f), significantly increased MMP9 production. The absence of TLR2 significantly reduced MMP9 production in response to exposures to live M. mulieris (Fig. 4g) and M. mulieris bEVs (Fig. 4h).

    M. mulieris abundance correlates with MMP9 levels in vaginal swabs from pregnant women

    We compared MMP9 protein levels in vaginal samples from two groups: 20 pregnant women with a high abundance of L. crispatus and no detectable M. mulieris (high LC group) and 10 pregnant women with low L. crispatus and high M. mulieris abundance (high MM group). As shown in Table 2, there were no significant differences between the groups in race, age, gestational age at sample collection, infant birth weights, or gestational age at delivery between the groups (p > 0.05). The high MM group had significantly higher MMP9 levels than the high LC group (Fig. 5a). However, vaginal MMP9 concentration did not show a direct correlation with M. mulieris abundance (p = 0.38, r = 0.16). Within the high MM group, CST IV-A and CST V subtypes exhibited a trend toward higher MMP9 levels (Fig. 5b).

    Fig. 5: MMP9 concentrations in vaginal swab samples from subjects in the high L. crispatus (LC) and high M. mulieris (MM) groups.
    figure 5

    a A bar plot showing the MMP9 concentrations measured in vaginal swab samples from subjects in the high LC and high MM groups. Bar plots represent the mean and the error bars for the standard deviation. The Mann–Whitney test was applied to compare MMP9 levels between the two groups, with statistical significance indicated by “***” (p < 0.001). b Within the high MM group, MMP9 concentrations were visualized by finer CST groupings.

    Table 2 Metadata of subjects from whom Dacron vaginal swabs were collected for High L. crispatus (LC) and High M. mulieris (MM) groups

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  • How Molecules Break and Form Bonds

    How Molecules Break and Form Bonds

    Researchers at European XFEL in Germany have tracked in real time the movement of individual atoms during a chemical reaction in the gas phase. Using extremely short X-ray flashes, they were able to observe the formation of an iodine molecule (I₂) after irradiating diiodomethane (CH₂I₂) molecules by infrared light, which involves breaking two bonds and forming a new one. At the same time, they were able to distinguish this reaction from two other reaction pathways, namely the separation of a single iodine atom from the diiodomethane, or the excitation of bending vibrations in the bound molecule. The results provide new insights into fundamental reaction mechanisms that have so far been very difficult to distinguish experimentally.

    Diiodomethane irradiated with infrared light can undergo several different reactions. Intense X-ray pulses of European XFEL and a reaction microscope of the SQS instrument were used to characterize three major reaction pathways.

    Tobias Wüstefeld, © European XFEL

    So-called elimination reactions in which small molecules are formed from a larger molecule are central to many chemical processes—from atmospheric chemistry to catalyst research. However, the detailed mechanism of many reactions, in which several atoms break and re-form their bonds, often remains obscure. The reason: The processes take place in incredibly short times—in femtoseconds, or a few millionths of a billionth of a second.

    An innovative experimental approach was now used at the SQS instrument at European XFEL to visualize such reaction dynamics. The researchers irradiated diiodomethane molecules with ultrashort infrared laser pulses, which triggered the molecular reactions. Femtoseconds later, intense X-ray flashes shattered the molecules, causing their atomic components to fly apart in a “Coulomb explosion.” The trajectories and velocities of the ions were then recorded by a detection device called the COLTRIMS reaction microscope (COLd Target Recoil Ion Momentum Spectroscopy)—one of the detection instruments at the SQS experimental station that is made available to users.

    “Using this method, we were able to precisely track how the iodine atoms assemble while the methylene group is cleaved off,” explains Artem Rudenko from Kansas State University, USA, the principal investigator of the experiment. The analysis revealed that both synchronous and asynchronous mechanisms contribute to the formation of the iodine molecule—a result that was supported by theoretical calculations.

    Remarkably, “Although this reaction pathway only accounts for about ten percent of the resulting products, we were able to clearly distinguish it from the other competing reactions,” explains Rebecca Boll from the European XFEL’s SQS (Small Quantum Systems) instrument in Schenefeld near Hamburg. This was made possible by the precise selection of specific ion fragmentation channels and their time-resolved analysis.

    Furthermore, the researchers were able to track the vibrational motion of the newly formed iodine molecule. “Now, we can more directly observe how an isolated molecule breaks and forms bonds during a chemical reaction—in real time and with atomic precision,” says Xiang Li, the first author of the publication and a scientist at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory in the United States. This is a crucial step toward truly understanding chemical processes. These observations not only provide a detailed picture of reaction mechanisms but also open up new avenues for investigating more complex chemical processes.

    In the future, these techniques will be extended to even larger molecules and more complex reactions. Thanks to planned technical improvements to the European XFEL X-ray laser, even faster and more detailed insights into the world of ultrafast molecular dynamics can be gained in the future.

    Original publication

    Xiang Li, Rebecca Boll, Patricia Vindel-Zandbergen, Jesús González-Vázquez, Daniel E. Rivas, Surjendu Bhattacharyya, Kurtis Borne, Keyu Chen, … Sergey Usenko, Anbu Selvam Venkatachalam, Enliang Wang, James P. Cryan, Michael Meyer, Till Jahnke, Phay J. Ho, Daniel Rolles, Artem Rudenko; “Imaging a light-induced molecular elimination reaction with an X-ray free-electron laser”; Nature Communications, Volume 16, 2025-7-30

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  • Life without sunlight? Earthquake fractures fuel deep underground microbes

    Life without sunlight? Earthquake fractures fuel deep underground microbes

    Chinese researchers have recently challenged the long-held belief that “all life depends on sunlight.” In a study published in Science Advances, the researchers identified how microbes in deep subsurface areas can derive energy from chemical reactions driven by crustal faulting, offering critical insights into life deep below Earth’s surface.

    The research was led by Prof. Hongping he, a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), and Prof. Jianxi Zhu, both from the Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry of CAS.

    Long regarded as inhospitable to life due to the absence of sunlight and organic matter, the deep subsurface has in recent years been found to host a large-scale, highly active biosphere teeming with diverse microorganisms. These microbes derive energy from abiotic redox reactions during water–rock interactions. Hydrogen (H2) serves as their main energy source and oxidants are also essential for metabolic activities, but their origins were not previously well understood.

    To tackle this mystery, the research team simulated crustal faulting activities and discovered that free radicals produced during rock fracturing can decompose water, generating both hydrogen and oxidants such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). These substances create a distinct redox gradient within fracture systems, which can further react with iron (Fe) in groundwater and rocks—oxidizing ferrous iron (Fe²⁺) to ferric iron (Fe³⁺) or reducing ferric iron (Fe³⁺) to ferrous iron (Fe²⁺), depending on local redox conditions.

    In microbe-rich fractures, hydrogen production driven by earthquake-related faulting was found to be up to 100,000 times greater than that from other known pathways, such as serpentinization and radiolysis. The team demonstrated that this process effectively drives iron’s redox cycle, which in turn influences the geochemical processes of elements like carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur—sustaining microbial metabolism in the deep biosphere.

    This study sheds new light on the energy sources and ecological diversity of the deep-subsurface biosphere. Profs. He and Zhu also noted that fracture systems on other Earth-like planets could potentially provide habitable conditions for extraterrestrial life, offering a new avenue for the search for life beyond Earth.

    The study was financially supported by the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars and the Strategic Priority Research Program of CAS, among other sources.

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  • Scientists Unearth 247-Million-Year-Old ‘Wonder’ Fossil Unlike Anything Seen Before – SciTechDaily

    1. Scientists Unearth 247-Million-Year-Old ‘Wonder’ Fossil Unlike Anything Seen Before  SciTechDaily
    2. A Reptile’s Baffling Backfin And The Math Of Dashing Dinos | Science Friday  WNYC Studios | Podcasts
    3. This Reptile Sported Strange, Feather-Shaped Structures Around 247 Million Years Ago  Discover Magazine
    4. Something like feathers grew on a 247-million-year-old reptile  San Juan Daily Star

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  • Nature’s anti-aging hack? Jewel wasp larvae slow their biological clock

    Nature’s anti-aging hack? Jewel wasp larvae slow their biological clock

    Scientists have discovered that jewel wasps can slow down their biological rate of aging.

    A study of jewel wasps, known for their distinctive metallic colors, has shown that they can undergo a kind of natural ‘time-out’ as larvae before emerging into adulthood with this surprising advantage.

    The groundbreaking study by scientists at the University of Leicester, has now been published in the journal, PNAS. It reveals that this pause in development within the wasp dramatically extends lifespan and decelerates the ticking of the so-called “epigenetic clock” that marks molecular aging.

    Aging isn’t just about counting birthdays, it’s also a biological process that leaves molecular fingerprints on our DNA. One of the most accurate markers of this process is the epigenetic clock, which tracks chemical changes in DNA, known as methylation, that accumulate with age. But what happens if we alter the course of development itself?

    To find out, a team at the University of Leicester including first author PhD student Erin Foley, Dr Christian Thomas, Professor Charalambos Kyriacou, and Professor Eamonn Mallon, from the department of Genetics, Genomics and Cancer Sciences, turned to Nasonia Vitripennis, also known as the jewel wasp.

    This tiny insect is becoming a powerful model for aging research because, unlike many other invertebrates, it has a functioning DNA methylation system, just like humans, and a short lifespan that makes it ideal to study.

    The researchers exposed jewel wasp mothers to cold and darkness, triggering a hibernation-like state in their babies called diapause. This natural “pause button” extended the offsprings’ adult lifespan by over a third. Even more remarkably, the wasps that had gone through diapause aged 29% more slowly at the molecular level than their counterparts. Their epigenetic clocks ticked more leisurely, offering the first direct evidence that the pace of biological aging can be developmentally tuned in an invertebrate.

    “It’s like the wasps who took a break early in life came back with extra time in the bank,” said Evolutionary Biology Professor Eamonn Mallon, senior author on the study.

    “It shows that aging isn’t set in stone, it can be slowed by the environment, even before adulthood begins.”

    While some animals can slow aging in dormant states, this study is the first to show that the benefits can persist after development resumes. What’s more, the molecular slowdown wasn’t just a random effect, it was linked to changes in key biological pathways that are conserved across species, including those involved in insulin and nutrient sensing. These same pathways are being targeted by anti-aging interventions in humans.

    What makes this study novel and surprising is that it demonstrates a long-lasting, environmentally triggered slowdown of aging in a system that’s both simple and relevant to human biology. It offers compelling evidence that early life events can leave lasting marks not just on health, but on the pace of biological aging itself.

    Professor Mallon added: “Understanding how and why aging happens is a major scientific challenge. This study opens up new avenues for research, not just into the biology of wasps, but into the broader question of whether we might one day design interventions to slow aging at its molecular roots. With its genetic tools, measurable aging markers, and clear link between development and lifespan, Nasonia vitripennis is now a rising star in aging research.

    “In short, this tiny wasp may hold big answers to how we can press pause on aging.”

    Funding for the study was provided by The Leverhulme Trust and The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).

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  • Global physics conference comes to UC Santa Cruz for first time—and why it matters

    Global physics conference comes to UC Santa Cruz for first time—and why it matters

    One of the most important annual gatherings in the field of theoretical and experimental particle physics will take place for the first time at the University of California, Santa Cruz. At the 32nd annual Conference on Supersymmetry and Unification of Fundamental Interactions, physicists from around the world will converge on campus from August 18 to 23 to offer possible answers to some of the biggest and most vexxing questions about the particle makeup of the universe and everything in it.

    The annual conference, known as SUSY, takes its name from the concept of supersymmetry, an overarching theoretical framework that predicts, for every known particle, there is a heavier “superpartner” particle that has yet to be discovered. The framework seeks to make sense of some of the most fundamental mysteries about the universe by proposing a symmetry of nature that would relate two very different kinds of particles: those that make up matter (so-called “fermions” like the electron) and those that carry forces (so-called “bosons” like the photon).

    Supersymmetry dictates that an electron would have a partner called a “selectron,” a photon would have a partner called a “photino,” and so on. As in years past, SUSY 2025 will offer physicists a valuable opportunity to meet face to face with peers worldwide, to review and discuss recent research related to supersymmetric theories and other approaches to physics beyond the Standard Model in all aspects. This includes formal theory, phenomenology, experiment, astroparticle physics, and cosmology.

    This year’s conference will be hosted by the Santa Cruz Institute for Particle Physics (SCIPP), which has a long history of excellence in particle physics, both in theory and experiment. So we asked the co-chair of SUSY 2025’s organizing committee, Associate Professor Wolfgang Altmannshofer, to translate some of the key topics into more everyday terms, and explain the significance of the conference.

    What makes supersymmetry such a big deal?

    “SUSY offers possible answers to some big questions in physics. It could explain dark matter, the invisible material that makes up most of the matter in the universe. For example, the superpartner of the Higgs boson could make up part of dark matter. It may also help unify the forces of nature, suggesting that the electromagnetic, weak, and strong forces could all come from a single force at high energies.

    “Even though superpartner particles have not been discovered yet, the elegance and explanatory power of SUSY mean it continues to guide both theory and experiment. It is one of our best windows into what might lie beyond the current boundaries of known physics.”

    What happens during the scientific programs that refer to Higgs theory, strings, dark matter, and other fascinating topics?

    “Researchers from around the world will share new results and ideas on a wide range of fundamental questions. Each day includes plenary talks on topics like the Higgs boson, supersymmetric models, dark matter searches, string theory, early universe cosmology, and precision experiments. Parallel sessions give ample opportunity for junior scientists to present their research to an international audience.

    “Some talks will present results from major international experiments including those at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), while others will introduce new theoretical frameworks, mathematical techniques, or connections between different areas of particle physics.”

    What makes UC Santa Cruz such a well-suited setting for this event and the activities that will take place?

    “SCIPP members are playing key roles in advancing supersymmetric models, analyzing data from the LHC, and developing new ideas about dark matter. At the same time, the setting is ideal: The redwoods, the ocean views, and the open, collaborative spirit of our campus create an environment that is both inspiring and productive.”

    Why are the SUSY conferences considered so consequential in the field, and do they typically result in tangible outcomes?

    “It serves as a kind of checkpoint for the global community: a place to share results, test new ideas, and shape future research directions. The outcomes may not always be immediate, but the impact of these conferences is substantial. They help orient the field and mentor the next generation of researchers.”

    Organizers are expecting about 170 pre-registered attendees, and in the lead up to the main conference, a week-long pre-SUSY summer school running from August 11 to 15 will offer lectures on advanced topics in particle physics, astroparticle physics, and cosmology to graduate students and early career post-docs.

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  • Hubble Space Telescope takes best picture yet of the comet visiting from another solar system – news.cgtn.com

    Hubble Space Telescope takes best picture yet of the comet visiting from another solar system – news.cgtn.com

    1. Hubble Space Telescope takes best picture yet of the comet visiting from another solar system  news.cgtn.com
    2. Image reveals unprecedented view of the third interstellar object observed passing through our solar system  CNN
    3. NASA urged to intercept possible alien visitor with spacecraft  Chron
    4. Another alien theory surfaces, but doubts remain  Gulf Today
    5. Harvard scientist warns interstellar object blasting toward Earth ‘may come to save – or destroy us’  The Independent

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  • NASA discovery sparks claims of life on Mars

    NASA discovery sparks claims of life on Mars

    (Web Desk) – NASA’s Curiosity rover snapped a bizarre, coral-shaped rock on the surface of Mars, sparking fresh speculation about signs of ancient life on the Red Planet.

    The twisted, alien-like formation was sculpted by wind and time, according to NASA, which said it likely formed billions of years ago when water once flowed across the Martian surface.

    The images have taken the internet by storm, with some users claiming: ‘Corals are true signs of ancient life forms along with the ancient rivers. This is a huge discovery!!’

    Another wrote on X: ‘There’s your Mars fossilized foreign life material evidence everybody’s been asking for. That’s obviously been there all along.’

    Scientists said mineral-rich water once seeped into tiny cracks in Martian rocks, depositing solid veins that were later exposed by billions of years of wind erosion.

    ‘Curiosity has found many small features like this one, which formed billions of years ago when liquid water still existed on Mars,’ NASA shared.

    ‘Water carried dissolved minerals into rock cracks and later dried, leaving the hardened minerals behind.’

    Billions of years of wind-driven erosion gradually stripped away the surrounding rock, revealing the unusual shapes visible today, the space agency added.

    The strange formation was captured on July 24, 2025, Curiosity’s 4,609th Martian day, by the rover’s Remote Micro Imager, part of its ChemCam instrument.

    The seven-foot-long wheeled robot is currently exploring Gale Crater, a region rich in boxwork formations, networks of ridges that were likely formed by ancient groundwater.

    These formations are helping scientists understand how the Martian environment transformed from a potentially habitable place to the desert it is today.

    Mars is a frozen desert with water largely as ice, but the coral like rock serves as a reminder that the planet once hosted liquid water on its surface, shaping its geology.

    While claims of life on Mars are flooding the web, others on X marveled at the discovery, as ‘further implying that Mars had water early in its existence.’

    Curiosity has in the past discovered a diverse assortment of similar small features that formed when mineralizing fluids traveled through conduits in the rock.

    The rover stumbled upon a flower-like rock in 2022, which was also made in the ancient past when minerals carried by water cemented the rock.

    But the discoveries have raised the idea that the Red Planet may have supported life at some point due to its once flowing with water.

    In 2024, NASA announced that its Perseverance rover had discovered the first ‘possible’ signs of ancient life on the Red Planet.

    The agency’s Perseverance rover spotted what they described as an arrowhead-shaped’ rock with what looked like veins flowing through it.

    The rover beamed the images back to Earth, revealing crystalline solids left over from water flowing on the surface and a reddish area that contained organic compounds and an energy source for ‘what could have been microbial life.’ 


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  • A new lunar benchmark: NIST’s moonlight data brings satellites into focus

    A new lunar benchmark: NIST’s moonlight data brings satellites into focus

    In 2019, the National Institute of Standards and Technology quietly launched a program with the ambitious goal of capturing moonlight, or at least precisely measuring it. The project was a joint venture with NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Geological Survey, the University of Maryland Baltimore County and Ontario’s McMaster University. Its purpose was to capture and catalog the moon’s reflected light with unparalleled precision so that satellites orbiting Earth could use it as a new universal calibration standard.

    To gather the data, NIST researchers deployed an array of state-of-the-art instruments at observatories in Arizona and Hawaii, measuring the moon’s reflected sunlight across multiple wavelengths. These instruments were sensitive enough to capture subtle differences in brightness as the moon cycled through its phases.

    But the land-based telescopes and instruments could only do so much. Their accuracy was limited by the fact that Earth’s atmosphere sometimes blocks accurate readings. Things like cloud cover or light pollution can skew measurements. To compensate, NIST put a special telescope onboard one of NASA’s ER-2 Near-Space airplanes as part of the Airborne Lunar Spectral Irradiance — or air-LUSI — mission. Those aircraft can fly as high as 70,000 feet, which is just over 13 miles above sea level. That puts it above about 95% of the atmosphere, and most of the negative factors that can skew measurements.

    The first air-LUSI flight took off in 2022 from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center, with subsequent flights fine-tuning their results and taking follow-up measurements into the early months of this year.

    Now, six years after the project started, NIST is releasing the first set of what it’s calling the Moonlight Radiometric Reference Dataset, a trove of data so precise that it could change the way we see our own planet. In the short term, it will allow satellites to be calibrated much more accurately. Satellite operators can now compare what their onboard sensors are reading with a “cosmic calibration lamp” at any point during their missions.

    “Our goal with this data release is to help the satellite industry develop better models of lunar irradiance,” said Joe Rice, the NIST group leader for the project. “Using the data will help ensure that scientists have a more accurate understanding of what images of Earth from orbit actually mean.”

    The real value of moonlight is that it’s constant, which in space or while in orbit around Earth, is incredibly valuable. Right now, most satellites rely on three different methods in order to maintain the accuracy of their sensors, but none of them are perfect.

    Most satellites have on-board calibration devices that can be used to check the accuracy of their sensors. However, both the sensors and the calibration devices themselves tend to lose accuracy over time, and tiny errors can eventually grow to become much bigger problems. 

    Some satellites are also programmed to take spot measurements using landmarks on Earth, such as large deserts or tall mountains. However, these spots are not truly constant and can change based on snowfall, dust storms, vegetation growth and other factors, or they might be hard to see at times because of cloud cover or other atmospheric anomalies. 

    Finally, satellite operators with a lot of objects in orbit can cross check their results across the entire system. However, that depends on at least some of the satellites in the constellation operating perfectly without drift or errors. Otherwise, those errors are simply passed on to other satellites as well.

    By contrast, the moon is largely unchanging. And the new set of NIST data measures light in different wavelengths, so satellite operators can adjust their sensors more precisely using the complete spectrum.

    “This dataset is 10 times more accurate than the data people previously had to use,” said NIST physicist John Woodward. “It will permit a distinct improvement over the other ways we have calibrated satellites.”

    This is not the first time that the more static nature of the moon has been tapped for government missions. Last year, NASA began working on the creation of a universal moon time, which could eventually be used to calibrate GPS devices for use with deep-space travel.

    The new set of moonlight data will immediately help calibrate the satellites of the government agencies that were involved in the project, namely NASA, NOAA and USGS. But the data is also available through GitHub for anyone to use, so commercial satellite companies will likely not be far behind.

    According to agency officials, the moonlight measurement project fits squarely into NIST’s long-standing mission to provide foundational standards for the nation’s science and technology efforts. Just as NIST maintains time standards and defines measurement units, it is now extending its expertise into the realm of space-based observation. The moonlight dataset isn’t just about satellites; it’s about creating a framework where any organization — be it government, academic, or private — can trust the measurements they’re making.

    And the timing couldn’t be better. As more agencies rely on satellite data to track greenhouse gases, predict hurricanes or assess wildfire damage, the stakes for accurate measurements have never been higher. A small error in calibration could lead to major misinterpretations, affecting everything from disaster response planning to climate policy. The new dataset should help to prevent even small calibration errors from sneaking into satellite measurements and help them to not drift away from their optimal settings over time.

    “Satellites are expensive national assets, and you want them to be as useful as possible,” Woodward said. “If we calibrate them using the moon, satellite observations could become more valuable. For example, we’d know whether the color of farmland had changed because rain had improved crop health, rather than because two different satellites took two different images at different times.”

    Looking ahead, NIST plans to expand the moonlight dataset with more frequent measurements, eventually accounting for subtle changes in lunar brightness caused by solar activity or other space weather events. These updates will help satellite operators fine-tune their instruments in real time, improving the long-term continuity of climate and Earth science records.

    The moonlight data project might not capture headlines like the latest Mars rover, but its impact could be profound. By using the moon’s steady glow as a guiding light, NIST is making sure that the satellites we rely on can see our planet more clearly than ever before. And in an era when we depend on data from orbit to understand nearly everything about Earth’s changing systems, that’s a kind of moonshot worth celebrating.

    John Breeden II is an award-winning journalist and reviewer with over 20 years of experience covering technology. He is the CEO of the Tech Writers Bureau, a group that creates technological thought leadership content for organizations of all sizes. Twitter: @LabGuys


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  • Dinosaurs with weaponised skulls: New study uncovers how predator heads evolved into killing machines – The Times of India

    Dinosaurs with weaponised skulls: New study uncovers how predator heads evolved into killing machines – The Times of India

    1. Dinosaurs with weaponised skulls: New study uncovers how predator heads evolved into killing machines  The Times of India
    2. Gigantic Megalosauroid and Allosauroid Dinosaurs Had Weak Bites, Study Suggests  Sci.News
    3. Some Giant Predatory Dinosaurs Had Barks (Or At Least Slashes) Worse Than Their Bite  IFLScience
    4. How giant dinosaurs turned their skulls into weapons  Earth.com
    5. Bigger dinosaurs didn’t always have stronger bites, surprising new study finds  BBC Science Focus Magazine

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