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PLOS Biology

@plosbiology.org
15K followers 7.2K following 3.1K posts

A leading life science journal that champions inclusive, high-impact research across all disciplines—from molecules to ecosystems. We offer innovative formats and collaborative editorial support to ensure your work achieves its full scientific impact.

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PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · 10h
#TrendingNow | Understanding the origin of eukaryotic cells is one of the most difficult problems in all of biology. This Consensus View lays out guidelines to identify the gene repertoire of the Last Eukaryotic Common Ancestor 🧪 #ICYMI #LECA #evolution plos.io/4g0alq4
plos.io
Reconstructing the last common ancestor of all eukaryotes
Understanding the origin of eukaryotic cells is one of the most difficult problems in all of biology. This Consensus View lays out guidelines to identify the gene repertoire of the Last Eukaryotic…
062
PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · 10h
Sarbecovirus spillover presents an urgent need for cross-reactive antibodies with therapeutic potential. This study uncovers the mechanisms of broad sarbecovirus cross-reactivity of three human antibodies that can inform the rational #antibody design. 🧪 #AcademicSky #virus plos.io/4rNWkD5
V1WT_06 binds to the RBD site V epitope using the heavy chain alone.
A) A closeup view of the superimposed structure of V1WT_06 bound to WIV-1 RBD on a trimeric spike (from PDB: 8WLZ). A clash with NTD of chain B is observed when V1WT_06 Fab-RBD complex is aligned onto RBD in the up conformation (chain A) in trimeric WIV-1 spike protein. Notably, the binding site is inaccessible in the RBD-down conformation. B) V1WT_06 heavy chain only interaction with WIV-1 RBD (grey). Heavy and light chains are shown with the dark and light blue ribbons, respectively. C) V1WT_06 epitope footprint overlayed with epitope footprints of other site V neutralising antibodies including S2H97, CC25.4, 5817, R1-32, and E465 patch. SARS-CoV-2 RBD (from PDB: 6m0j) is coloured based on the amino acid conservation across 87 bat sarbecoviruses.
031
PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · 10h
How ACE2 receptor usage shapes sarbecovirus host range and antigenicity remains unclear. This study screens bat sarbecoviruses, identifying those #viruses with generalist and specialist tropism and characterizing their #antibody neutralization patterns. 🧪 #AcademicSky plos.io/4y9KgxG
Cryo-EM structure of RhGB07 trimeric spike in a 3-RBD down state. (A) Left: CryoEM density of the trimer spike coloured by the protomer chains the density originates from. Glycans are highlighted in teal. Centre: the trimeric spike viewed from the top rendered in cartoon representation. Right: the isolated RhGB07 RBD represented as cartoon in grey with two glycans of interest shown. (B) The C-alpha trace of the RBD of RhGB07 rendered as balls-and-sticks superimposed with the RBD of SARS-CoV-1 (PDB 7DF3) and SARS-CoV-2 (PDB 5X5B). The insets show a zoomed-in view of two regions of the RBD that show the greatest changes in the position of the C-alpha of the RBD. The region containing the ins1-loop and delta4-loop coincides with putative ACE2-interacting residues based on mapping the equivalent residues of SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2. The ACE2-interacting residues were determined by superimposing SARS-CoV-1 and RhGB07 RBD onto the SARS-CoV-2 RBD – ACE2 (PDB: 6M0J) structure and identifying interacting residues. Highlighted residues of RhGB07 show the putative interacting residues that differ in identity to SARS-CoV-2.
010
PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · 10h
Birds such as nightjars must fly at different speeds during feeding and migration. This study identifies unexpected aerodynamic and kinematic #flight features related to these ecological demands that suggest a link between wing folding and upstroke thrust generation. 🧪 #AcademicSky plos.io/3Tw3Ful
Nightjar vortex wake displays double tip vortices and upstroke thrust. Wake vortices shown as iso-surfaces of total vorticity [s−1] (iso value = 100), color-coded by downwash velocity (vz) of a sample sequence of a European nightjar flying at 9 m/s. Note the double tip vortices during the downstroke (upper inlet) and the reversed vortices at the outer wing during the upstroke (lower inlet). The inlets show in-plane velocity vectors on a background of the streamwise vorticity with blue showing clockwise rotation and yellow/red counterclockwise rotation. Vectors are not scaled the same in the two inlets but are scaled to facilitate interpretation of the flow. Units on the 3D-axes are in m.
041
PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · 10h
As #climate warming intensifies, it remains unclear whether introgression can overcome genomic barriers to spread beneficial alleles. This study shows that strong heat selection promotes introgression and heat tolerance despite barriers to gene flow. 🧪 #AcademicSky #evolution plos.io/4i0KNwM
Comparison of introgression and strong contemporary barriers between the control and heat-selection treatments. The mean hybrid index (HI) represents the amount of introgression from the more heat-tolerant D. montana, between the control and heat-selection treatments.
041
Reposted by PLOS Biology
Nonia Pariente @npariente.bsky.social · 12h
So well deserved, with all the caveats that a lot of people contributed to the technology etc, but optogenetics has been nothing short of a revolution
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PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · 12h
A few years ago @plos.org put together a collection on optogenetics, highlighting relevant research across PLOS Biology and our sisters PLOS comp Bio and @plosone.org, including some research from the now Nobel laureates! collections.plos.org/collection/b... 🧪
collections.plos.org
Brain Mapping Methods: Optogenetics - PLOS Collections
Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system and is an interdisciplinary biological science that extends across multiple fields, including, chemistry, computer science, engineering, ling...
01610
PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · 04/10/2026
Sarbecovirus spillover presents an urgent need for cross-reactive antibodies with therapeutic potential. This study uncovers the mechanisms of broad sarbecovirus cross-reactivity of three human antibodies that can inform the rational #antibody design. 🧪 #AcademicSky #virus plos.io/4rNWkD5
V1WT_06 binds to the RBD site V epitope using the heavy chain alone.
A) A closeup view of the superimposed structure of V1WT_06 bound to WIV-1 RBD on a trimeric spike (from PDB: 8WLZ). A clash with NTD of chain B is observed when V1WT_06 Fab-RBD complex is aligned onto RBD in the up conformation (chain A) in trimeric WIV-1 spike protein. Notably, the binding site is inaccessible in the RBD-down conformation. B) V1WT_06 heavy chain only interaction with WIV-1 RBD (grey). Heavy and light chains are shown with the dark and light blue ribbons, respectively. C) V1WT_06 epitope footprint overlayed with epitope footprints of other site V neutralising antibodies including S2H97, CC25.4, 5817, R1-32, and E465 patch. SARS-CoV-2 RBD (from PDB: 6m0j) is coloured based on the amino acid conservation across 87 bat sarbecoviruses.
0101
PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · 04/10/2026
How ACE2 receptor usage shapes sarbecovirus host range and antigenicity remains unclear. This study screens bat sarbecoviruses, identifying those #viruses with generalist and specialist tropism and characterizing their #antibody neutralization patterns. 🧪 #AcademicSky plos.io/4y9KgxG
Cryo-EM structure of RhGB07 trimeric spike in a 3-RBD down state. (A) Left: CryoEM density of the trimer spike coloured by the protomer chains the density originates from. Glycans are highlighted in teal. Centre: the trimeric spike viewed from the top rendered in cartoon representation. Right: the isolated RhGB07 RBD represented as cartoon in grey with two glycans of interest shown. (B) The C-alpha trace of the RBD of RhGB07 rendered as balls-and-sticks superimposed with the RBD of SARS-CoV-1 (PDB 7DF3) and SARS-CoV-2 (PDB 5X5B). The insets show a zoomed-in view of two regions of the RBD that show the greatest changes in the position of the C-alpha of the RBD. The region containing the ins1-loop and delta4-loop coincides with putative ACE2-interacting residues based on mapping the equivalent residues of SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2. The ACE2-interacting residues were determined by superimposing SARS-CoV-1 and RhGB07 RBD onto the SARS-CoV-2 RBD – ACE2 (PDB: 6M0J) structure and identifying interacting residues. Highlighted residues of RhGB07 show the putative interacting residues that differ in identity to SARS-CoV-2.
061
PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · 04/10/2026
Birds such as nightjars must fly at different speeds during feeding and migration. This study identifies unexpected aerodynamic and kinematic #flight features related to these ecological demands that suggest a link between wing folding and upstroke thrust generation. 🧪 #AcademicSky plos.io/3Tw3Ful
Nightjar vortex wake displays double tip vortices and upstroke thrust. Wake vortices shown as iso-surfaces of total vorticity [s−1] (iso value = 100), color-coded by downwash velocity (vz) of a sample sequence of a European nightjar flying at 9 m/s. Note the double tip vortices during the downstroke (upper inlet) and the reversed vortices at the outer wing during the upstroke (lower inlet). The inlets show in-plane velocity vectors on a background of the streamwise vorticity with blue showing clockwise rotation and yellow/red counterclockwise rotation. Vectors are not scaled the same in the two inlets but are scaled to facilitate interpretation of the flow. Units on the 3D-axes are in m.
063
PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · 04/10/2026
As #climate warming intensifies, it remains unclear whether introgression can overcome genomic barriers to spread beneficial alleles. This study shows that strong heat selection promotes introgression and heat tolerance despite barriers to gene flow. 🧪 #AcademicSky #evolution plos.io/4i0KNwM
Comparison of introgression and strong contemporary barriers between the control and heat-selection treatments. The mean hybrid index (HI) represents the amount of introgression from the more heat-tolerant D. montana, between the control and heat-selection treatments.
041
PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · 03/10/2026
Sarbecovirus spillover presents an urgent need for cross-reactive antibodies with therapeutic potential. This study uncovers the mechanisms of broad sarbecovirus cross-reactivity of three human antibodies that can inform the rational #antibody design. 🧪 #AcademicSky #virus plos.io/4rNWkD5
V1WT_06 binds to the RBD site V epitope using the heavy chain alone.
A) A closeup view of the superimposed structure of V1WT_06 bound to WIV-1 RBD on a trimeric spike (from PDB: 8WLZ). A clash with NTD of chain B is observed when V1WT_06 Fab-RBD complex is aligned onto RBD in the up conformation (chain A) in trimeric WIV-1 spike protein. Notably, the binding site is inaccessible in the RBD-down conformation. B) V1WT_06 heavy chain only interaction with WIV-1 RBD (grey). Heavy and light chains are shown with the dark and light blue ribbons, respectively. C) V1WT_06 epitope footprint overlayed with epitope footprints of other site V neutralising antibodies including S2H97, CC25.4, 5817, R1-32, and E465 patch. SARS-CoV-2 RBD (from PDB: 6m0j) is coloured based on the amino acid conservation across 87 bat sarbecoviruses.
0103
PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · 03/10/2026
How ACE2 receptor usage shapes sarbecovirus host range and antigenicity remains unclear. This study screens bat sarbecoviruses, identifying those #viruses with generalist and specialist tropism and characterizing their #antibody neutralization patterns. 🧪 #AcademicSky plos.io/4y9KgxG
Cryo-EM structure of RhGB07 trimeric spike in a 3-RBD down state. (A) Left: CryoEM density of the trimer spike coloured by the protomer chains the density originates from. Glycans are highlighted in teal. Centre: the trimeric spike viewed from the top rendered in cartoon representation. Right: the isolated RhGB07 RBD represented as cartoon in grey with two glycans of interest shown. (B) The C-alpha trace of the RBD of RhGB07 rendered as balls-and-sticks superimposed with the RBD of SARS-CoV-1 (PDB 7DF3) and SARS-CoV-2 (PDB 5X5B). The insets show a zoomed-in view of two regions of the RBD that show the greatest changes in the position of the C-alpha of the RBD. The region containing the ins1-loop and delta4-loop coincides with putative ACE2-interacting residues based on mapping the equivalent residues of SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2. The ACE2-interacting residues were determined by superimposing SARS-CoV-1 and RhGB07 RBD onto the SARS-CoV-2 RBD – ACE2 (PDB: 6M0J) structure and identifying interacting residues. Highlighted residues of RhGB07 show the putative interacting residues that differ in identity to SARS-CoV-2.
0101
PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · 03/10/2026
Birds such as nightjars must fly at different speeds during feeding and migration. This study identifies unexpected aerodynamic and kinematic #flight features related to these ecological demands that suggest a link between wing folding and upstroke thrust generation. 🧪 #AcademicSky plos.io/3Tw3Ful
Nightjar vortex wake displays double tip vortices and upstroke thrust. Wake vortices shown as iso-surfaces of total vorticity [s−1] (iso value = 100), color-coded by downwash velocity (vz) of a sample sequence of a European nightjar flying at 9 m/s. Note the double tip vortices during the downstroke (upper inlet) and the reversed vortices at the outer wing during the upstroke (lower inlet). The inlets show in-plane velocity vectors on a background of the streamwise vorticity with blue showing clockwise rotation and yellow/red counterclockwise rotation. Vectors are not scaled the same in the two inlets but are scaled to facilitate interpretation of the flow. Units on the 3D-axes are in m.
0111
PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · 03/10/2026
As #climate warming intensifies, it remains unclear whether introgression can overcome genomic barriers to spread beneficial alleles. This study shows that strong heat selection promotes introgression and heat tolerance despite barriers to gene flow. 🧪 #AcademicSky #evolution plos.io/4i0KNwM
Comparison of introgression and strong contemporary barriers between the control and heat-selection treatments. The mean hybrid index (HI) represents the amount of introgression from the more heat-tolerant D. montana, between the control and heat-selection treatments.
070
PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · 02/10/2026
#TrendingNow | In this Essay, Matthew Walker and colleagues highlight eight of the most exciting new discoveries within #sleep science, discussing how these have expanded our understanding of sleep's function at the cellular, organismal, and societal levels 🧪 #ICYMI #NeuroSky plos.io/4bvllco
plos.io
The new science of sleep: From cells to large-scale societies
Sleep appears to be a universal state across the animal kingdom, suggesting it offers a conserved benefit to organismal health. This Essay highlights eight of the most exciting new discoveries within…
070
PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · 02/10/2026
Mounting an #immune response is energetically costly, and so host defenses are often influenced by internal metabolic states. This study identifies a gut-brain signaling mechanism in C. elegans, shaping pathogen avoidance and molecular immune responses. 🧪 #AcademicSky #hostPathogen plos.io/3T9f6bi
Conceptual diagram for how NHR-68 integrates lipid metabolism with behavioral and molecular immunity.
NHR-68 acts in the intestine to regulate linoleic acid homeostasis through control of fat-3 expression. Changes in intestinal lipid metabolism influence an AWC-dependent pathogen-avoidance circuit through currently unidentified intestine-to-neuron signaling mechanisms, enhancing survival during P. aeruginosa infection. In parallel, NHR-68 suppresses PMK-1/p38 MAPK and DAF-16/FOXO immune pathways, coordinating behavioral and molecular defenses to optimize host protection. Created in BioRender. Sang, Y. (2026).
165
PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · 02/10/2026
Fungal biofilm formation has long been considered an important virulence trait. Shannon Esher Righi explores a new @PLOSBiology.org study challenging this idea in Candida parapsilosis outbreak isolates. 🧪 #AcademicSky #microbiology #fungi Article plos.io/4dh0tJx Primer plos.io/4hto2QF
Conceptual diagram for the trade-off between biofilm production and in vivo persistence.
Biofilm production facilitates colonization of commensal organisms, promotes adherence, and confers intrinsic antifungal resistance. Biofilm-producing strains are under tight transcriptional control and expose β-glucan. This leads to increased phagocytosis and killing by macrophages, and extracellular NET production by neutrophils. By contrast, Daneshnia and colleagues, show that low biofilm-producing strains undergo transcriptional reprogramming to allow for metabolic flexibility. They mask their β-glucan to facilitate immune avoidance, leading to decreased phagocytosis by macrophages. However, when phagocytosed, low biofilm-producing strains are more fit for growth and survival within immune cell-rich niches of the host, leading to enhanced macrophage activation and neutrophil swarming. Together these features allow low biofilm-producing C. parapsilosis strains to survive and persist within the in vivo host environment.
154
PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · 02/10/2026
How do intrinsic timescales, which reflect the temporal window of neural processing, mature during development? This study by @goliashf.bsky.social @ted-satterthwaite.bsky.social &co identifies a hierarchical trajectory, from sensorimotor to association cortices. 🧪 #NeuroSky plos.io/46RzqRG
Developmental patterns of intrinsic timescale.
(a) Average timescale increases during development in youth  (b) Age effects quantified as partial R2 are depicted across the cortex, displaying a heterogeneous spatial distribution. (c) Age effects on intrinsic timescale were compared to the S–A axis, identifying a hierarchical pattern of developmental patterns in intrinsic timescale along the S–A axis. The results demonstrate that intrinsic timescale in association regions increases during development in youth while it remains relatively stable in sensorimotor regions.
042
Reposted by PLOS Biology
Christian Schnell @neuroschnell.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
New paper in @plosbiology.org Biology from Theodore D. Satterthwaite's lab about the maturation of intrinsic timescale across the human cortex during development: journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
journals.plos.org
Intrinsic timescale develops hierarchically from sensorimotor to association cortex in youth and stabilizes in adulthood
Intrinsic timescale reflects the temporal window of neural processing, but how it matures across the human cortex during development remains unclear. This study shows that intrinsic timescale develops...
0157
PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · 01/10/2026
#TrendingNow | Sequencing of lab-cultured Drosophilidae species can result in a bias in taxon sampling. This study presents assembled #genomes from 183 single wild-collected drosophilids and inbred lines, aiming to redress the bias towards laboratory organisms 🧪 #ICYMI #Drosophila plos.io/3zS3Fe4
plos.io
Single-fly genome assemblies fill major phylogenomic gaps across the Drosophilidae Tree of Life
Sequencing of species that can be cultured in the laboratory results in a bias in taxon sampling. This study uses cost-effective, amplification-free, low-input sequencing methods to assemble genomes…
0127
PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · 01/10/2026
How are growing vertebrate organs organized at a single-cell level? This study develops whole adult-organ expansion microscopy (WAO-ExM) to visualize every single hepatocyte in the zebrafish liver during post-embryonic growth. 🧪 #AcademicSky #Development plos.io/4d9Y9UM
Light-sheet microscopy view of a 10× expanded zebrafish liver, revealing its cellular architecture with hepatocyte membranes in green, hepatocyte nuclei in red, and nuclei of other cell types in blue.
Image credit: Image acquisition, Xuejiao Tian; image processing, Hsiao-Yuh Roan and Hsin Chen.
061
PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · 01/10/2026
#Glia are essential for proper nervous system #development and function, but a high-resolution view of glial development is lacking. This Resource analyses longitudinal single-cell RNA sequencing of the #Drosophila visual system as glial diversity arises. 🧪 #NeuroSky plos.io/4dcP8KJ
Annotation of optic lobe glia in the larval and adult single-cell datasets.
(A) A cross-section schematic representation of the larva (L3) optic lobe with the glial cell types depicted. (C) A cross-section schematic representation of the adult stage optic lobe with the glial cell types depicted.
071
PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · 01/10/2026
Broadly neutralizing #flu #antibodies able to recognize both influenza A and B viruses are exceptionally rare. This study shows that mutations that promote binding to one flu virus can weaken recognition of others, constraining antibody cross-reactive breadth. 🧪 #ImmuneSky plos.io/4z8mzGV
Structural analysis of the differential effects on binding affinity.
(A) The Cαs of VH S24, VH S52, VH F54, and VH I73 in CR9114 are shown as spheres (PDB 4FQI) [15]. CR9114 and HA are in blue and white, respectively. The local chemical environment for (B) VH S24, (C) VH S52 and VH F54, and (D) VH I73 are shown. Black dashed lines represent H-bonds. (E) The structure of HA-bound CR9114 with VH W73 is modeled. Red circle indicates steric clash.
042
PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · 01/10/2026
Mounting an #immune response is energetically costly, and so host defenses are often influenced by internal metabolic states. This study identifies a gut-brain signaling mechanism in C. elegans, shaping pathogen avoidance and molecular immune responses. 🧪 #AcademicSky #hostPathogen plos.io/3T9f6bi
Conceptual diagram for how NHR-68 integrates lipid metabolism with behavioral and molecular immunity.
NHR-68 acts in the intestine to regulate linoleic acid homeostasis through control of fat-3 expression. Changes in intestinal lipid metabolism influence an AWC-dependent pathogen-avoidance circuit through currently unidentified intestine-to-neuron signaling mechanisms, enhancing survival during P. aeruginosa infection. In parallel, NHR-68 suppresses PMK-1/p38 MAPK and DAF-16/FOXO immune pathways, coordinating behavioral and molecular defenses to optimize host protection. Created in BioRender. Sang, Y. (2026).
143
PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · 01/10/2026
Fungal biofilm formation has long been considered an important virulence trait. Shannon Esher Righi explores a new @PLOSBiology.org study challenging this idea in Candida parapsilosis outbreak isolates. 🧪 #AcademicSky #microbiology #fungi Article plos.io/4dh0tJx Primer plos.io/4hto2QF
Conceptual diagram for the trade-off between biofilm production and in vivo persistence.
Biofilm production facilitates colonization of commensal organisms, promotes adherence, and confers intrinsic antifungal resistance. Biofilm-producing strains are under tight transcriptional control and expose β-glucan. This leads to increased phagocytosis and killing by macrophages, and extracellular NET production by neutrophils. By contrast, Daneshnia and colleagues, show that low biofilm-producing strains undergo transcriptional reprogramming to allow for metabolic flexibility. They mask their β-glucan to facilitate immune avoidance, leading to decreased phagocytosis by macrophages. However, when phagocytosed, low biofilm-producing strains are more fit for growth and survival within immune cell-rich niches of the host, leading to enhanced macrophage activation and neutrophil swarming. Together these features allow low biofilm-producing C. parapsilosis strains to survive and persist within the in vivo host environment.
121
PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · 01/10/2026
How do intrinsic timescales, which reflect the temporal window of neural processing, mature during development? This study by @goliashf.bsky.social @ted-satterthwaite.bsky.social &co identifies a hierarchical trajectory, from sensorimotor to association cortices. 🧪 #NeuroSky plos.io/46RzqRG
Developmental patterns of intrinsic timescale.
(a) Average timescale increases during development in youth  (b) Age effects quantified as partial R2 are depicted across the cortex, displaying a heterogeneous spatial distribution. (c) Age effects on intrinsic timescale were compared to the S–A axis, identifying a hierarchical pattern of developmental patterns in intrinsic timescale along the S–A axis. The results demonstrate that intrinsic timescale in association regions increases during development in youth while it remains relatively stable in sensorimotor regions.
051
PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · 01/10/2026
#TrendingNow | Neurons are thought to be the main source of pathogenic amyloid beta in #AlzheimersDisease. This study identified oligodendrocytes as significant contributors to amyloid beta production, suggesting they could potentially be targeted therapeutically #ICYMI #NeuroSky 🧪 plos.io/3zYNU56
plos.io
Selective suppression of oligodendrocyte-derived amyloid beta rescues neuronal dysfunction in Alzheimer’s disease
Neurons are thought to be the primary source of pathogenic amyloid beta (Aβ) in Alzheimer’s disease. This study identifies oligodendrocytes as significant contributors to Aβ production and shows that…
021
PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · 30/09/2026
Find out more and register your place for the @events.embl.org conference 'Unlocking the functional diversity of gut microbiomes': plos.io/3REtPKr 📅 8-10 Dec 2026 📍 EMBL Heidelberg, with the option to attend virtually. #EMBLGutMicrobeFunction
The image is a promotional graphic for the EMBO | EMBL Symposium. It features an abstract illustration of a human body with visual elements indicating metastasis. Text on the left reads: "Defining and defeating metastasis: from plasticity to immune evasion to therapy resistance, 10 – 13 November 2026, EMBL Heidelberg and Virtual."
142
Reposted by PLOS Biology
Jolyon Troscianko @jtroscianko.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
🦋 Butterfly wing patterns create motion illusions that protect them from predators! Our new study (8 years in the making) is out in Nature today doi.org/10.1038/s415... @grahancock.bsky.social @esbriolat.bsky.social @scienceanna.bsky.social @lauraakelley.bsky.social @uniexecec.bsky.social
12259128
Reposted by PLOS Biology
Judith Mank @judithmank.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Delighted to see that @plosbiology.org has a feature of our guppy paper on their landing page. The real star is the guppy photo by @vdbijl.bsky.social, and I am at peace with this. journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
1157
PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · 30/09/2026
We just couldn't resist the guppy pic! Thanks to @vdbijl.bsky.social for allowing us to use it to highlight your cool paper!
020
Reposted by PLOS Biology
PLOS One @plosone.org · 30/09/2026
In a new @plos.org blog post for our 20th anniversary series, Senior Editor @joannatindall.bsky.social looks at research published in @plosone.org that explores the changes associated with the Anthropocene, from species distributions to regime shifts to direct risks for people. plos.io/4ylGjGL
plos.io
Environmental change in the Anthropocene - EveryONE
This blog post was prepared by PLOS One Senior Editor Joanna Tindall. The Anthropocene is a geological epoch defined by human actions…
2510
PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · 30/09/2026
How are growing vertebrate organs organized at a single-cell level? This study develops whole adult-organ expansion microscopy (WAO-ExM) to visualize every single hepatocyte in the zebrafish liver during post-embryonic growth. 🧪 #AcademicSky #Development plos.io/4d9Y9UM
Light-sheet microscopy view of a 10× expanded zebrafish liver, revealing its cellular architecture with hepatocyte membranes in green, hepatocyte nuclei in red, and nuclei of other cell types in blue.
Image credit: Image acquisition, Xuejiao Tian; image processing, Hsiao-Yuh Roan and Hsin Chen.
031
PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · 30/09/2026
#Glia are essential for proper nervous system #development and function, but a high-resolution view of glial development is lacking. This Resource analyses longitudinal single-cell RNA sequencing of the #Drosophila visual system as glial diversity arises. 🧪 #NeuroSky plos.io/4dcP8KJ
Annotation of optic lobe glia in the larval and adult single-cell datasets.
(A) A cross-section schematic representation of the larva (L3) optic lobe with the glial cell types depicted. (C) A cross-section schematic representation of the adult stage optic lobe with the glial cell types depicted.
032
PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · 30/09/2026
Broadly neutralizing #flu #antibodies able to recognize both influenza A and B viruses are exceptionally rare. This study shows that mutations that promote binding to one flu virus can weaken recognition of others, constraining antibody cross-reactive breadth. 🧪 #ImmuneSky plos.io/4z8mzGV
Structural analysis of the differential effects on binding affinity.
(A) The Cαs of VH S24, VH S52, VH F54, and VH I73 in CR9114 are shown as spheres (PDB 4FQI) [15]. CR9114 and HA are in blue and white, respectively. The local chemical environment for (B) VH S24, (C) VH S52 and VH F54, and (D) VH I73 are shown. Black dashed lines represent H-bonds. (E) The structure of HA-bound CR9114 with VH W73 is modeled. Red circle indicates steric clash.
000
Reposted by PLOS Biology
Instituto de Neurociencias CSIC-UMH @neuroalc.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
New study from @canalslab.bsky.social is out in @plosbiology.org 🔝 They reveal how brain balances memory flexibility and stability. Inhibitory activity in the dentate gyrus helps adjust how memories incorporate new information & distinguish similar experiences. 🧵1/5 👇 in.umh-csic.es/en/articulos...
162
PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · 30/09/2026
Mounting an #immune response is energetically costly, and so host defenses are often influenced by internal metabolic states. This study identifies a gut-brain signaling mechanism in C. elegans, shaping pathogen avoidance and molecular immune responses. 🧪 #AcademicSky #hostPathogen plos.io/3T9f6bi
Conceptual diagram for how NHR-68 integrates lipid metabolism with behavioral and molecular immunity.
NHR-68 acts in the intestine to regulate linoleic acid homeostasis through control of fat-3 expression. Changes in intestinal lipid metabolism influence an AWC-dependent pathogen-avoidance circuit through currently unidentified intestine-to-neuron signaling mechanisms, enhancing survival during P. aeruginosa infection. In parallel, NHR-68 suppresses PMK-1/p38 MAPK and DAF-16/FOXO immune pathways, coordinating behavioral and molecular defenses to optimize host protection. Created in BioRender. Sang, Y. (2026).
1115
PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · 30/09/2026
Fungal biofilm formation has long been considered an important virulence trait. Shannon Esher Righi explores a new @PLOSBiology.org study challenging this idea in Candida parapsilosis outbreak isolates. 🧪 #AcademicSky #microbiology #fungi Article plos.io/4dh0tJx Primer plos.io/4hto2QF
Conceptual diagram for the trade-off between biofilm production and in vivo persistence.
Biofilm production facilitates colonization of commensal organisms, promotes adherence, and confers intrinsic antifungal resistance. Biofilm-producing strains are under tight transcriptional control and expose β-glucan. This leads to increased phagocytosis and killing by macrophages, and extracellular NET production by neutrophils. By contrast, Daneshnia and colleagues, show that low biofilm-producing strains undergo transcriptional reprogramming to allow for metabolic flexibility. They mask their β-glucan to facilitate immune avoidance, leading to decreased phagocytosis by macrophages. However, when phagocytosed, low biofilm-producing strains are more fit for growth and survival within immune cell-rich niches of the host, leading to enhanced macrophage activation and neutrophil swarming. Together these features allow low biofilm-producing C. parapsilosis strains to survive and persist within the in vivo host environment.
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PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · 30/09/2026
How do intrinsic timescales, which reflect the temporal window of neural processing, mature during development? This study by @goliashf.bsky.social @ted-satterthwaite.bsky.social &co identifies a hierarchical trajectory, from sensorimotor to association cortices. 🧪 #NeuroSky plos.io/46RzqRG
Developmental patterns of intrinsic timescale.
(a) Average timescale increases during development in youth  (b) Age effects quantified as partial R2 are depicted across the cortex, displaying a heterogeneous spatial distribution. (c) Age effects on intrinsic timescale were compared to the S–A axis, identifying a hierarchical pattern of developmental patterns in intrinsic timescale along the S–A axis. The results demonstrate that intrinsic timescale in association regions increases during development in youth while it remains relatively stable in sensorimotor regions.
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PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · 29/09/2026
#TrendingNow | Retractions are becoming more common but still account for a small minority of published papers. This study reveals that highly cited authors with #retracted publications tend to have higher self-citation rates and larger publication volumes #ICYMI #AcademicSky🧪 plos.io/4aWNBpT
plos.io
Linking citation and retraction data reveals the demographics of scientific retractions among highly cited authors
Retractions are becoming increasingly common but still account for a small minority of published papers. Using a database that links retractions to the top 2% most highly-cited scientists across…
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Reposted by PLOS Biology
PLOS One @plosone.org · 29/09/2026
For #WorldHeartDay, these recent articles examine physical activity in individuals with cardiovascular disease, the link between blood pressure in pregnancy and cardiovascular health, and the use of smart watches to monitor heart rate. plos.io/4z4zHMT plos.io/4iVoBoN plos.io/4ju9T8n plos.io/4iPPVF1
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PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · 29/09/2026
How are growing vertebrate organs organized at a single-cell level? This study develops whole adult-organ expansion microscopy (WAO-ExM) to visualize every single hepatocyte in the zebrafish liver during post-embryonic growth. 🧪 #AcademicSky #Development plos.io/4d9Y9UM
Light-sheet microscopy view of a 10× expanded zebrafish liver, revealing its cellular architecture with hepatocyte membranes in green, hepatocyte nuclei in red, and nuclei of other cell types in blue.
Image credit: Image acquisition, Xuejiao Tian; image processing, Hsiao-Yuh Roan and Hsin Chen.
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PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · 29/09/2026
#Glia are essential for proper nervous system #development and function, but a high-resolution view of glial development is lacking. This Resource analyses longitudinal single-cell RNA sequencing of the #Drosophila visual system as glial diversity arises. 🧪 #NeuroSky plos.io/4dcP8KJ
Annotation of optic lobe glia in the larval and adult single-cell datasets.
(A) A cross-section schematic representation of the larva (L3) optic lobe with the glial cell types depicted. (C) A cross-section schematic representation of the adult stage optic lobe with the glial cell types depicted.
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PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · 29/09/2026
Broadly neutralizing #flu #antibodies able to recognize both influenza A and B viruses are exceptionally rare. This study shows that mutations that promote binding to one flu virus can weaken recognition of others, constraining antibody cross-reactive breadth. 🧪 #ImmuneSky plos.io/4z8mzGV
Structural analysis of the differential effects on binding affinity.
(A) The Cαs of VH S24, VH S52, VH F54, and VH I73 in CR9114 are shown as spheres (PDB 4FQI) [15]. CR9114 and HA are in blue and white, respectively. The local chemical environment for (B) VH S24, (C) VH S52 and VH F54, and (D) VH I73 are shown. Black dashed lines represent H-bonds. (E) The structure of HA-bound CR9114 with VH W73 is modeled. Red circle indicates steric clash.
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PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · 28/09/2026
#TrendingNow | How can we improve research #reproducibility? @kdcobey &co surveyed more than 1,900 biomedical researchers for thoughts on irreproducibility in research results, conducting replication studies, and relevant funding and training #ICYMI #AcademicSky 🧪 plos.io/3ApZJ4N
plos.io
Biomedical researchers’ perspectives on the reproducibility of research
There is growing interest in the reproducibility of research and ways to enhance transparency. This study uses an international survey of more than 1900 biomedical researchers to reveal the perceived…
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PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · 28/09/2026
Cationic amphiphilic drugs (CADs) can disrupt lysosomal function. Peter Roy &co show that a xenobiotic module couples CYP-35B–mediated CAD catabolism to efflux in #Celegans, possibly to #detoxify natural products generated by microbes in the soil 🧪 buff.ly/4BFpg7V
Working model of the CAD Defense Pathway. CAD metabolites and polar lipids are exported by PGP‑13 and PGP‑14 across the plasma membrane; CAD also signals (directly or indirectly) to nuclear receptors (NHRs) to activate cyp‑35b, cror‑1 and pgp‑13, forming a feedback loop.
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PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · 28/09/2026
Why do we not see evolutionary change in heritable, fitness-related traits in free-living populations? @erikpostma.bsky.social &co use the #evolution of clutch size in great tits to show the importance of gene flow in explaining contemporary evolutionary change and stasis 🧪 buff.ly/ngAKH6r
Scatter plot comparing individual breeding values at year t−1 and year t, with blue dots = survivors, orange dots = non‑survivors, green dots = native recruits and magenta triangles = immigrant recruits. The genetic change attributable to local adaptation (i.e., the net effect of breeder mortality and the recruitment of local-origin individuals) is represented by a grey dashed line, which differs from the total genetic change in the breeding population (solid black line) that additionally includes the contribution of immigrant recruitment.
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PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · 28/09/2026
What stimulates regeneration programs in animals? @kenposs.bsky.social &co show that mutations causing #developmental defects activate #regeneration responses that buffer the deleterious effects of congenital disease in #zebrafish embryos. 🧪 buff.ly/jhUAiBu
Lateral views of stacked zebrafish larvae showing green fluorescent labeling concentrated in the head, spinal cord and tail tip. Green marks activation of an fgf20a enhancer trap in developing fin fold tissue of fras1 mutant zebrafish larvae, in which disruption of a gene mutated in Fraser syndrome destabilizes the fin fold epithelium. Regeneration programs that respond to injury are also deployed against damage arising from congenital genetic lesions, indicating a function in limiting developmental defects. Image credit: Kazunori Ando & Sushant Bangru.
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PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · 28/09/2026
How do monovalent cations regulate sodium-activated fluoride exporters (FEX)?Hedieh Torabifard, Randy Stockbridge &co show how cation-dependent conformational changes control fluoride resistance, identifying lithium as an antagonist of eukaryotic fluoride export. 🧪 #StructuralBiology buff.ly/oCiMX4L
Model of cation-dependent channel opening in FEX-CA. Comparison of Na+-bound and Li+-bound conformations of a membrane FEX fluoride transporter, showing blue transmembrane helices with labeled residues S158 and F159, yellow side chains, a helix rotation and displacement on Li+ binding, red F− ions, and an arrow indicating Li+↔Na+ exchange.
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