Scientists have sequenced the unusually large genome of a trapdoor spider named after comedian Stephen Colbert, uncovering surprising features of its DNA. A spider no bigger than a quarter has a genome roughly 50% larger than the human genome. Known as Aptostichus stephencolberti, this elusive trapdoor spider lives beneath California’s coastal dunes and carries 4.6 billion DNA base pairs. Researchers at the University of California, Davis, have now sequenced its genome, uncovering features that could help explain how spider DNA has evolved. “At 4.6 gigabases, or 4.6 billion DNA base pairs, it’s not the largest genome among the spiders, but it’s significant,” said Jason Bond, a professor in the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology. The research, published in the Journal of Heredity, marks the first time scientists have sequenced the genome of a species in this spider family. Why This Small Spider Has So Much DNA The spider’s enormous genome is not packed with an unusually large number of genes. Instead, approximately 77% consists of repetitive DNA sequences, stretches of genetic material copied many times throughout the genome. Its DNA is organized into 52 chromosomes, compared with the 46 chromosomes typically found in human body cells. Another feature...

As today’s oceans lose oxygen, Alaskan rocks trace a similar decline that began millions of years before the end-Triassic mass extinction. Dinosaurs survived the end-Triassic mass extinction 201 million years ago, but roughly 60 percent of Earth’s species did not. New evidence from Virginia Tech geologists suggests that the crisis in the oceans began about 8 million years earlier, when oxygen levels in shallow waters started to decline. Scientists have long linked the extinction to enormous volcanic eruptions that tore apart landmasses, warmed the planet, and triggered widespread environmental changes. As temperatures rise, rocks break down faster, releasing nutrients that contribute to increasing ocean acidity. Warmer seawater also holds less dissolved oxygen, creating conditions that can lead to oxygen-depleted dead zones where marine organisms struggle to survive. The combination of rising acidity and falling oxygen is “kind of like a one-two punch,” said geochemist Ben Gill. “It wouldn’t have been a very happy place to be.” Although scientists had previously found evidence of widespread marine oxygen loss around the end-Triassic extinction, much of it came from a limited geographic area. Researchers still lacked a clear understanding of when the decline began and how extensively it affected the oceans. Recent studies...

New simulations suggest that powerful internal magnetic fields could allow some white dwarfs to grow far beyond a long-established stellar mass limit. New research suggests that some white dwarfs, the incredibly dense remnants of dead stars, could grow far heavier than a fundamental limit in astrophysics predicts. Computer simulations show that powerful internal magnetic fields may allow these objects to reach about 2.4 times the Sun’s mass, well beyond the conventional limit of roughly 1.4 solar masses. The findings, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, offer a possible explanation for unusually bright stellar explosions and could have implications for how astronomers measure the expansion of the universe. They also demonstrate a potential evolutionary path through which these exceptionally massive stars could form. How Magnetic Fields Could Overcome a Stellar Mass Limit White dwarfs form when stars exhaust their nuclear fuel and lose their outer layers, leaving behind compact cores typically about the size of Earth. Despite their small dimensions, these remnants can contain a substantial fraction of the Sun’s mass. For white dwarfs without strong magnetic fields or rapid rotation, the maximum stable mass is approximately 1.4 solar masses, a threshold known as the Chandrasekhar limit. Researchers at the Department...

Researchers have identified an unexpected molecular vulnerability in cancers carrying BAF mutations. Mutations found in roughly 20% of human cancers may promote tumor growth by changing how DNA is organized inside cells. Researchers have identified a mechanism that allows a regulatory protein to reshape the genome’s three-dimensional structure, altering the activity of genes involved in cell division. The study, published October 28 in Nature, links these changes to mutations affecting a protein complex called BAF. Scientists at Weill Cornell Medicine found that blocking a key protein involved in the process reversed the cancer-promoting effects in an animal model, suggesting potential new approaches to treatment. How Cancer Mutations Change DNA Accessibility The BAF complex helps control gene activity by regulating how accessible DNA is to other proteins. Its numerous subunits are encoded by more than two dozen genes, and mutations affecting these components occur in cancers of the breast, ovaries, liver, and lymphatic system. Until now, researchers had struggled to explain how such mutations could contribute to malignancy across so many different tissues. The new findings challenge expectations about how BAF normally functions. “We normally think of the BAF complex as making DNA more accessible, and so we expected its loss...

A new water-treatment technology could offer a breakthrough in the fight against forever chemicals. Scientists have developed a new way to destroy toxic “forever chemicals” in water rather than simply filter them out. During a 58-day experiment, the system removed more than 90% of each of six PFAS compounds and stripped away approximately 83% of their fluorine, providing evidence that the pollutants were being chemically broken down. PFAS are widely used in nonstick cookware, waterproof clothing, food packaging, and firefighting foam. Their exceptional durability also allows them to persist in soil, water, wildlife, and the human body. Exposure to certain PFAS has been linked to cancer, thyroid disorders, immune system problems, and reproductive health risks. Breaking Down Nearly Indestructible Chemicals Conventional treatments capture PFAS using filters, membranes, or other materials, leaving contaminated waste that must still be managed. Researchers at Arizona State University and their collaborators instead developed a system that attacks the chemicals’ molecular structure. “PFAS are hard to break down, and normal processes that we use don’t work,” said Bruce Rittmann, director of the Biodesign Swette Center for Environmental Biotechnology. The challenge lies in the carbon-fluorine bonds that make PFAS exceptionally stable. “It’s called the strongest bond in...

A nutrient known for helping the body burn fat may also cause inflammation when the immune system is in overdrive. Yale researchers found that L-carnitine, a nutrient abundant in red meat and widely used in exercise and weight-loss supplements, could worsen severe inflammation in mice. After a bacterial component triggered inflammation and sharply lowered blood levels of L-carnitine, restoring the nutrient made the animals sicker, suggesting the decline was protective. The findings were published October 19 in Cell. L-carnitine is best known for helping cells turn fat into energy. The body produces it naturally, and skeletal muscle contains particularly high concentrations. “L-carnitine helps transport fats into mitochondria so they can be broken down for energy,” says Eric Elliott, MD, PhD, assistant professor of medicine (infectious diseases) at Yale School of Medicine (YSM) and the study’s first author. “In simpler terms, it has become synonymous with fat burning, which is why it has also gained prominence as an exercise and weight-loss supplement.” The team was investigating metabolic changes during sepsis, a life-threatening condition in which the body’s response to infection damages its own tissues and organs. Much of that damage can come from uncontrolled inflammation rather than a failure to contain...

Despite decades of research, major gaps in scientists’ understanding of green sawfish could complicate efforts to save the species. Green sawfish have disappeared from large parts of their former range, but northern Australia still supports some of the last relatively intact populations of this critically endangered species. A new scientific review suggests these waters could be central to the animal’s survival, although major gaps in researchers’ knowledge continue to complicate conservation efforts. Green sawfish are a type of ray with a sharklike body and a distinctive, tooth-lined snout resembling a saw. Overfishing and habitat loss have driven their decline worldwide. Researchers at Murdoch University’s Centre for Sustainable Aquatic Ecosystems, part of the Harry Butler Institute, have now brought together decades of scientific findings to identify the species’ remaining strongholds and determine where further research is needed. Northern Australia Offers a Rare Refuge “Although the species has disappeared from large parts of its historic range, including parts of Africa and southern Asia, northern Australia still supports some of the last intact populations left anywhere on Earth,” said Dr. Jack Ingelbrecht, a postdoctoral research associate who led the review alongside Associate Professor David Morgan. Ingelbrecht added, “We’re fortunate that the main factors...

NASA astronauts have completed another major step in upgrading the International Space Station’s power supply. During a spacewalk lasting more than seven hours, two crew members installed a new solar array that will help generate electricity for the orbiting laboratory, supporting everything from scientific experiments to the station’s eventual retirement. NASA astronaut Anil Menon and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Joshua Kutryk finished their spacewalk outside the International Space Station at 3:08 p.m. EDT on October 29. The mission lasted 7 hours and 11 minutes and brought NASA closer to completing a significant expansion of the station’s electrical power system. Their primary assignment was to install and deploy an International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Array (IROSA) on the station’s 2A electrical power channel. This channel is part of the network that distributes electricity throughout the massive spacecraft, ensuring that its equipment and systems receive the energy they need. The newly installed equipment is the seventh of eight roll-out solar arrays planned for the station. Together, these additions will substantially increase the electricity available to support daily operations, research activities, and the station’s eventual safe and controlled return to Earth. How the Space Station’s New Solar Arrays Work The International Space...

Ancient DNA recovered from melon seeds at a medieval Chinese port is revealing surprising clues about the fruit’s origins and evolution. Melons grown in medieval China may have looked and tasted very different from the sweet varieties enjoyed today. DNA recovered from ancient seeds suggests these fruits had light-green flesh, yellow skin, and genetic ties to South Asia. Their appearance may also have reflected the artistic tastes of China’s Song dynasty. The findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, come from seeds discovered at the Gugang port (Shuomen Gugang) in southeastern China. Excavations in 2024 uncovered shipwrecks, porcelain, and remains of imported fruits. Waterlogged sediments preserved plant DNA dating to the Song dynasty (circa 960-1279). Ancient DNA Points to the Melon’s Asian Origins Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis, working with colleagues in Germany and the United Kingdom, identified the seeds as belonging to the East Asian agrestis melon lineage. Genetic evidence suggests these melons originated in South Asia before reaching China, although independent domestication in China remains possible. WashU biologist Susanne Renner, who has studied melons for more than 25 years, explained that scientists once favored a different origin. “At that time, it was...

Scientists have uncovered a previously unknown class of natural compounds hidden within soil-dwelling bacteria. Scientists have discovered a previously unknown group of molecules in soil bacteria that bind to a human protein associated with several types of cancer. The compounds, known as myxoglucamides, have an unusual chemical structure and could provide a starting point for developing new drugs, although researchers have not demonstrated a strong effect on cancer cell growth. The discovery emerged from two studies examining how bacteria produce these molecules and how they interact with human cells. Myxoglucamides combine molecular components derived from sugars, lipids, and amino acids in an arrangement unlike previously known natural products. Accessing them required researchers to activate bacterial genes that normally remain silent. Unlocking Hidden Chemistry in Soil Bacteria Myxoglucamides are produced by myxobacteria, a group of soil-dwelling microorganisms known for synthesizing diverse biologically active compounds. Using modern genetic techniques, scientists at the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) activated a previously silent biosynthetic pathway, allowing them to produce and detect the molecules. The team then examined the biosynthetic gene cluster responsible for their production and traced the biochemical reactions involved. Their analysis identified a previously unknown pathway in which several enzymes...

Two fossils from China point to the first known fully marine amphibian, revealing an ancient exception to the freshwater dependence of its living relatives. An armored amphibian nearly three feet long appears to have lived on the seafloor hundreds of miles from a large landmass. How did it survive in salt water when no known amphibian alive today can live entirely at sea? Two nearly complete skeletons from China offer clues. Researchers from the University of California, Davis, Peking University, and the Geological Museum of Guizhou identified the animal as Gerrothorax maritimus, which lived nearly 237 million years ago during the Late Triassic. Their study, published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, reports the first fossil evidence of a fully marine amphibian. Preserved fingers point to ocean life The skeletons were discovered in China’s Guizhou Province, in an area once covered by ocean. Researchers have been reconstructing the ecosystem preserved there through its fossils. “This area is part of an ecosystem that we’ve been looking at and trying to reconstruct,” said study corresponding author Ryosuke Motani, a professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at UC Davis. “We’ve been mostly studying marine reptiles and the fish from this place,...

DNA from more than 3,000 barn owls reveals natural selection at work, but the advantage behind their changing feathers may involve coping with stress rather than color itself. Swiss barn owls have become more reddish-brown and more heavily spotted over the past 30 years. By tracking the DNA variants linked to their plumage, researchers have found evidence of natural selection acting over about ten generations, offering a detailed view of evolution unfolding in the wild. The study, published in Nature Communications, was led by Dr. Tristan Cumer, a research fellow in the Department of Ecology and Evolution at the University of Lausanne (Unil)’s Faculty of Biology and Medicine. Working in Professor Jérôme Goudet’s team, Cumer and his colleagues examined how genetic variants associated with color and spotting became more or less common over time. The challenge was to distinguish changes that could occur randomly from those shaped by natural selection. “We compared the changes observed in the population with simulations in which evolution was entirely random. A genetic variant associated with reddish-brown plumage became far more common than chance alone could explain. Only simulations that included natural selection reproduced the changes we observed,” explains Cumer, the paper’s first author. Redder...

Scientists have discovered that spiders experience REM-like sleep, complete with twitching muscles and moving eyes, raising the intriguing possibility that they might dream. Spiders may have more in common with sleeping humans than scientists previously realized. Researchers at the University of Bonn have discovered that Australian jumping spiders experience two distinct stages of sleep, including a state that closely resembles REM sleep in humans. During this stage, the spiders move their eyes and twitch their muscles, behaviors that raise intriguing questions about the origins of sleep and whether spiders might experience something resembling dreams. The findings provide the first comprehensive experimental confirmation of regulated sleep in spiders. They also suggest that complex sleep patterns may be far more widespread throughout the animal kingdom than previously understood. In humans and other vertebrates, sleep involves multiple stages, including REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. This stage is associated with rapid eye movements, changes in muscle activity, and vivid dreaming in humans. Scientists have long wondered whether animals with very different nervous systems, including spiders, experience comparable sleep states. To investigate, researchers from the Institute of Organismic Biology at the University of Bonn turned to an unusual subject: the Australian jumping spider Portia fimbriata...

Scientists have developed a tiny temperature sensor that harvests energy from magnetic fields near electrical wiring. Electrical wiring produces weak electromagnetic fields that typically go unnoticed, but researchers have found a way to turn some of that energy into a power source for tiny electronic devices. Scientists at the University of Arkansas (U of A) and the University of Michigan have developed a graphene-based energy harvester capable of powering an ultra-low-power temperature sensor without a conventional battery. The prototype operates using energy collected from its immediate surroundings, consuming power measured in nanowatts, or billionths of a watt. It represents another advance toward the team’s goal of developing autonomous sensors that could function unattended for decades. Turning Electrical Wiring Into a Power Source The technology captures energy from magnetic fields generated by electrical wiring carrying alternating current. In the United States, electricity typically operates at 60 hertz, meaning the current changes direction 60 times each second. The researchers designed their sensor to harvest energy from these low-frequency fields. A graphene inductor collects the energy and sends an alternating electrical signal to a custom circuit, which converts it into direct current. That electricity charges capacitors that store energy for the sensor to...

A dinosaur fossil unearthed in England more than two decades ago has now been identified as an entirely new genus and species. A dinosaur discovered in an English clay quarry 25 years ago has finally been recognized as an entirely new genus and species. Named Paludohadros proudlovii, the plant-eating dinosaur lived about 125 million years ago, when muddy wetlands covered much of southern England. Its identification is also prompting scientists to reconsider other fossils that have spent decades in museum collections. The four-legged herbivore measured approximately 5 meters (16 feet) long and weighed an estimated 1.5 to 2 metric tons (3,300 to 4,400 pounds), making it comparable in size to a rhinoceros. However, its bones were not fully developed, suggesting that the individual was still young when it died. A mature Paludohadros might have grown to twice its size. A Prehistoric Predator May Have Hunted This Dinosaur Paludohadros shared its Early Cretaceous environment with Baryonyx walkeri, a large, two-legged carnivore discovered at the same Surrey quarry in 1983. Although Baryonyx is particularly well known for eating fish, evidence of a young iguanodontian in its last meal suggests that other dinosaurs were also part of its diet. Professor Susannah Maidment, a...

Uranus and Neptune have long been considered planetary twins, but new research suggests their similarities may conceal surprisingly different origins. Neptune may have formed from material that originated much closer to the young Sun, challenging the long-standing belief that it and Uranus developed from the same reservoir of cosmic ingredients. New research suggests the two ice giants, despite their striking similarities, have significantly different chemical histories. An international research team, including scientists from Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), found evidence that Neptune’s deep atmosphere contains substantially more oxygen than Uranus’s. Published in the September 2026 issue of Astronomy & Astrophysics, the study uses atmospheric observations and computer models to investigate how the planets acquired their chemical compositions roughly 4.5 billion years ago. Two Similar Planets With Different Chemical Histories Uranus and Neptune have comparable sizes, masses, and atmospheric conditions, making them appear almost like planetary twins. Neither has a solid surface like Earth. Instead, their atmospheres extend thousands of miles into their interiors, with water, ammonia, and methane among the compounds present. Methane in their upper atmospheres helps produce their distinctive blue-green colors by absorbing red wavelengths of sunlight. “Uranus and Neptune may resemble twins today, but their chemistry is telling...

Not all tea-drinking habits were associated with the same health benefits. Researchers found that tea type, strength, and temperature were linked to notable differences in vascular disease risk. People who regularly drank tea had a lower risk of diseases affecting the heart and blood vessels in a large study in China. However, the pattern varied with the type, strength, and temperature of the tea, with “burning hot” tea associated with elevated risk. The study, published in the Journal of Internal Medicine, followed 485,934 adults for a median of 9.05 years. Researchers recorded 14,863 cases of cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, pulmonary heart disease, and peripheral artery disease. These conditions involve the heart and circulation, including blood vessels in the brain, heart problems related to lung disease, and reduced blood flow through arteries supplying the limbs. Regular tea consumption was associated with an 11% lower risk of these outcomes compared with not drinking tea. Tea drinking was also considered alongside smoking and physical activity, providing context for how it fit into a broader pattern of habits. “Joint analyses showed that tea consumption, smoking status, and physical were collectively associated with vascular risk, with the favorable combination of habitual tea consumption, non-current smoking...

More cat owners are turning to vegan diets for their pets. But is a plant-based diet actually safe for cats? An online survey of 1,305 cats found that those eating vegan diets had 34% lower odds of being assessed as overweight than those eating conventional meat-based food. The findings came from caregiver reports of veterinary assessments. All cats had followed their diets for at least one year, with conventional meat-based diets accounting for most (90%) and vegan diets for the remainder (10%). A Surprising Pattern in Cat Weight Researchers calculated the difference after accounting for age, sex, neuter status, activity, and feeding practices. The lower rates of excess weight came despite feeding habits that might have tipped the scales the other way, as Knight explained, “Interestingly, most vegan-fed cats were eating predominantly dry food and were more likely to have food available throughout the day. These are feeding patterns normally associated with increased overweight risk. Yet we still observed lower rates of overweight in this group.” That observation came from study author Andrew Knight, an adjunct professor at Australia’s Griffith University School of Environment and Science. He emphasized that the relatively small vegan-fed group limited what researchers could conclude. Weight-Related...

Scientists have identified sex-specific differences in gene activity within brain cells that may help explain why Parkinson’s disease affects men more frequently than women. Men are 1.5 to 2 times more likely than women to develop Parkinson’s disease, yet the biological reasons remain poorly understood. New research suggests that differences in gene activity within the brain’s support cells may help explain why the condition affects the sexes differently. The findings, presented at the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS) Forum 2026, are based on brain tissue from 73 people with Parkinson’s disease (28 women and 45 men) and 24 people without the condition (9 women and 15 men). Researchers examined five brain regions, identifying cellular changes shared by both sexes as well as distinct patterns in men and women. Brain Support Cells Reveal Sex-Specific Differences The strongest differences appeared in two types of glial cells, which support and protect neurons. In astrocytes, gene activity related to mitochondria, the structures that produce cellular energy, differed between sexes. In oligodendrocytes, researchers identified differences involving genes responsible for producing and maintaining myelin, the protective coating surrounding nerve fibers. These patterns appeared across the brain regions studied. Professor Julia Schulze-Hentrich of Saarland University in...

A new study reveals that the amount of carbon dioxide produced by human metabolism has increased dramatically over three decades. The carbon dioxide produced by human bodies as they convert food into energy increased by 74% over three decades, according to a University of Bath-led study. By 2015, the global total had reached an estimated 2.05 billion metric tons (2.26 billion U.S. tons) annually, highlighting a substantial component of the Earth’s carbon cycle that scientists had not previously quantified on this scale. Unlike emissions from burning fossil fuels, the CO2 humans exhale largely comes from carbon recently absorbed from the atmosphere by plants and transferred through food. Burning coal, oil, and natural gas releases carbon that has been stored underground for millions of years, adding it to the active carbon cycle. Population Growth Drove Most of the Increase Published in The Lancet Planetary Health, the study found that annual CO2 production from human metabolism rose from 1.18 billion metric tons (1.30 billion U.S. tons) in 1985 to 2.05 billion metric tons (2.26 billion U.S. tons) in 2015. More than 60% of that increase was attributable to population growth rather than a substantial rise in the amount produced by each individual...

Scientists have uncovered a biological mechanism that may help explain why breast cancer becomes more dangerous with age. In older mice, breast cancer was far more likely to spread to the lungs, even when the original tumors grew at roughly the same rate as those in younger animals. Researchers at Georgetown’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center have identified an inflammation-related receptor that appears to play a central role in this age-related increase in metastasis. The researchers found that genetically removing the receptor, known as RAGE, almost completely eliminated the increased spread of cancer in older mice. Published May 15, 2026, in Communications Biology, the findings suggest that changes occurring throughout the body during aging can influence how aggressively cancer behaves. How Aging Creates Conditions That Help Cancer Spread The study focused on RAGE (Receptor for Advanced Glycation End-products), a receptor on the surface of cells that amplifies inflammatory signals. Aging increased levels of molecules that activate RAGE, including the proteins S100 and HMGB1. These molecules were found in both primary tumors and metastatic sites, where the resulting inflammatory activity helped cancer cells invade surrounding tissues and spread. “Our study addresses a major gap by showing that aging dramatically increases breast cancer...