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AI helps researchers find antimicrobial peptides in Earth’s harshest habitats

Researchers built the Extreme Environment Microbiome Catalog from 78,213 genomes across global extreme habitats, revealing major taxonomic and biosynthetic novelty, including 32,715 representative species, nearly 4 billion non-redundant genes, and 163,693 biosynthetic gene clusters. They then used protein language models to identify 3,032 candidate non-toxic antimicrobial peptides, with 84 of 100 synthesized peptides showing antibacterial activity and low cytotoxicity in the 50 tested in mammalian cells.

6 Apr 2026

Large-scale exposome research shows how multiple factors influence disease risk

For decades, scientists have been carefully unraveling the role of genes in disease by examining how small variations in a person's genetic code can shape lifelong risk of developing common conditions such as cancer, diabetes, or heart disease.

6 Apr 2026

Organ-on-chip model advances study of sexually transmitted infections

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) not only impact an individual's health but also result in multibillion-dollar economic losses worldwide.

3 Apr 2026

Study reveals pearling mechanism behind mitochondrial DNA spacing

Mitochondria are often described as the cell's power plants, because they generate energy. To help them achieve this, mitochondria carry their own small genome called mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA).

2 Apr 2026

Machine learning uncovers thousands of unknown bacterial immune defense systems

Bacterial immune systems protect against viral invaders called phages by precisely targeting specific phage genetic sequences.

2 Apr 2026

Oral molecule prevents kidney stones and restores survival in mice

Scientists at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging have shown that an orally administered small molecule, N-propargylglycine (N-PPG), can completely prevent the formation of calcium oxalate kidney stones, protect against kidney failure, and fully restore normal survival in a mouse model of Primary Hyperoxaluria Type 2 (PH2), a rare and currently untreatable genetic disorder that causes progressive kidney failure in infants and young adults.

2 Apr 2026

New study highlights rising cleaning product injuries in young children

Researchers from the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital have found more than an estimated 240,800 visits to U.S. emergency departments (EDs) associated with household cleaning product-related injuries from 2007 through 2022 for children aged five years and younger.

2 Apr 2026

US scientists sequence 1,000 genomes from measles, a disease long eliminated with vaccines

This week, the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention posted online its first large tranche of advanced genetic data from measles viruses spreading last year.

2 Apr 2026

New method improves reliability of protein language model predictions

AI language models, used to generate human-like text to power chatbots and create content, are also revolutionizing biology by treating complex biological data like a language.

1 Apr 2026

NIH funds AI project to advance Alzheimer’s research and treatment

The National Institutes of Health has renewed support for Artificial Intelligence for Alzheimer's Disease, or AI4AD. The new $12.6 million award to advance the project's next phase, AI4AD2, brings its total investment in AI4AD to $30.7 million.

1 Apr 2026

AEGIS tool helps scientists study evolution of aging and lifespan

Why do some species live for only weeks while others survive for centuries? Researchers at the Leibniz Institute on Aging - Fritz Lipmann Institute (FLI) in Jena have developed AEGIS, a freely available software tool that enables scientists to simulate evolution on a standard computer and investigate how lifespan and aging evolve under different ecological pressures and genetic constraints.

1 Apr 2026

How could bisphenol A raise depression risk? Study identifies six key molecular targets

An integrative Translational Psychiatry study linked BPA exposure to major depressive disorder by identifying 571 shared targets and six core genes, with genetic, transcriptomic, docking, and mouse-model data supporting plausible mechanistic pathways. The strongest signals pointed to AKT1, SRC, PLCG2, and JAK3 as potential contributors, while EGFR appeared protective.

31 Mar 2026

Why one vaccine cannot protect against all E. coli infections

The bacterium E. coli is the most common cause of urinary tract infections and bloodstream infections. But in the search for vaccines, researchers have discovered that the bacteria are more resilient than they had thought.

31 Mar 2026

Genomic study advances prioritization of variants in cancer diagnostics

Hiroshima University researchers have developed a practical framework to identify candidate pathogenic variants hidden among the large number of variants of uncertain significance (VUS) detected in comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) of cancers.

31 Mar 2026

Broken String Biosciences rebrands to reflect strategic evolution as demand grows for unbiased genome-wide off-target analysis

Broken String Biosciences, a biotechnology company enabling gene editing teams to accelerate development of safer, more effective genetic medicines, today introduced new branding and comprehensive website as part of its strategic repositioning.

From Broken String Biosciences 31 Mar 2026

DNASE1L2 identified as a dynamic biomarker for TB progression

Tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the world's most serious public health threats, with approximately one-quarter of the global population infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. While most infections remain latent (LTBI), individuals with LTBI are at risk of progressing to active TB and potentially becoming new sources of transmission.

31 Mar 2026

Study proposes genetic basis for autism’s strong sex bias

Autism has a significant and enduring sex bias, with roughly four boys diagnosed for every girl. For many years, experts have believed this disparity arises primarily from diagnostic inequities because much of autism research - and the screening tools that grew out of it - has historically focused on boys, effectively setting a male standard for what autism "looks like."

30 Mar 2026

Whole genome sequencing improves diagnosis of rare diseases

A collaboration between Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, and SciLifeLab has integrated whole genome sequencing into routine diagnostic investigations for rare diseases at Karolinska University Hospital.

30 Mar 2026

Study reveals CAR T approach for hard-to-treat solid tumors

Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy - CAR T for short - has been a major advance in treating blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma.

30 Mar 2026

Study: Autism risk genes are largely consistent across different human ancestries

A new study, co-led by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and published March 30 in Nature Medicine [https://doi.org/ 10.1038/s41591-026-04228-6], demonstrates that genes associated with autism risk are largely the same across people of different ancestries.

30 Mar 2026