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A breakthrough cell therapy in Shanghai is reported to have cured a man’s diabetes, giving hope to other sufferers.

Climate change, drought, increased temperature and other stressors challenge agricultural sustainability. Researchers have now made an unexpected discovery: zinc plays a pivotal role in the plant response to abiotic stress. This groundbreaking discovery not only sheds light on the intricate mechanisms of plant growth but also holds promise for revolutionizing crop resilience, especially in legume-based agriculture.

H5N1 virus in unpasteurized milk is stable on metal and rubber components of commercial milking equipment for at least one hour, increasing its potential to infect people and other animals.

A study of multiple Mycena mushroom species reported in the journal Cell Genomics has found that they have unexpectedly large genomes. While the mushrooms had been thought to be purely saprotrophic – living by degrading dead organic material alone – the discovery suggests that they may instead have a collection of genes to enable them to adapt to different lifestyles as circumstances change. Interestingly, they show certain Mycena strains living in the Arctic have some of the largest mushroom genomes ever described. These mushrooms show widespread growth across their genome. This includes not only the genes that help them invade or interact with plants and break down carbon, but also genes whose functions are not yet known but are likely important. Additionally, there are many repetitive, non-coding elements and genes that they have acquired from other, unrelated fungi through horizontal gene transfer.

People who use psychedelics tend to have higher levels of BDNF, a brain protein that promotes neuroplasticity and neuron growth, suggesting potential mental health benefits.

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, the University of Cambridge in the U.K. and collaborating institutions have shown that serotonin 2C receptor...

A more accurate way to scan for tuberculosis (TB) has been developed by UK and US researchers, using positron emission tomography (PET). The team, from the Rosalind Franklin Institute, the Universities of Oxford and Pittsburgh and the National Institutes of Health in the USA, have developed a new radiotracer, which is taken up by live TB bacteria in the body. Radiotracers are radioactive compounds which give off radiation that can be detected by scanners and turned into a 3D image. The new radiotracer, called FDT, enables PET scans to be used for the first time to accurately pinpoint when and where the disease is still active in a patient’s lungs. The researchers have put the new radiotracer through extensive pre-clinical trials with no adverse effects and it is now ready to go into Phase I trials in humans. Published in Nature Communications, the research was funded by the Gates Foundation and UK Research and Innovation.

Research suggests that people may expect to behave more unethically when they perceive higher economic inequality, potentially decreasing societal trust and cooperation.