Pompeu Fabra University

The origin and the process by which eukaryotic cells arose remains one of the great unanswered questions in biology, with Lynn Margulis’s theories regarding the incorporation of a bacterium that would later become the mitochondrion marking a major turning point. Now, Spanish research carried out by IRB Barcelona and the Barcelona Supercomputing Center challenges this view. Without denying the role of mitochondria, it suggests that the process was longer and more complex than previously thought, stretching over hundreds of thousands of years. At least two other different bacteria contributed to the development of eukaryotic cells, and giant viruses appear to have acted as vehicles for genetic transfer. The findings, published in Nature, suggest a much more protracted and gradual process of exchange between microorganisms.

Formaldehyde is a preservative used on human tissue; inhaling it has harmful health effects and it is considered a human carcinogen. A study published in Occupational & Environmental Medicine shows that airborne concentrations of this compound in most pathological anatomy departments of the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) are rarely monitored and regularly exceed the occupational exposure limits set by the European Union (EU): seven out of 10 departments exceeded the eight-hour maximum exposure limit set by the EU.

An international team led by the Institute of Evolutionary Biology (IBE), a joint center of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), has compiled the largest genetic database of Native American populations to date, including 128 new complete genomes. The research identified more than one million genetic variants not previously observed in other populations, revealing a unique genetic diversity. According to the authors, who published their work in Nature, “these results demonstrate the need to better represent these populations in genomics.”

Premature births, babies born with birth defects, bad luck, satellite and telecommunications failures… Eclipses are attributed with a wide variety of consequences that have no scientific basis and are largely rooted in cultural traditions and deep-seated misconceptions. With the help of expert sources, in this article we explain why some people believe in them, what the main risks are and how to counter them. 

In the ephemeral pools along the coasts of the Caribbean island of Curaçao lives Choanoeca flexa, a tiny unicellular aquatic organism belonging to the choanoflagellates, important for being close relatives of animals. As the pools evaporate and refill, C. flexa can switch between unicellular and multicellular forms in three different ways: by division, by aggregation, or by combining both, mechanisms that were previously thought to be mutually exclusive. The discovery, published today in Nature, may challenge current understanding of the origins of multicellular life.

A study published in the European Heart Journal shows that people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes have a higher risk of sudden cardiac death than those without these diseases. In addition, their life expectancy is lower. The research analysed data from 6,862 cases of sudden cardiac death in Denmark in 2010, and concluded that the incidence of these deaths is 3.7 times higher in people with type 1 diabetes than in the general population, and 6.5 times higher in people with type 2 diabetes. Those under the age of 50 were at the highest risk.

Gilberto and Tomás are two macaques trained to synchronise their movements with the rhythm of a metronome, who were also able to tap to a musical beat, according to a study published in Science. This result contradicts the vocal learning hypothesis, according to which only species capable of complex vocalisations can perceive and follow a musical rhythm.

The frequency and intensity of extreme heat events have increased in recent years, heightening the risks for those who work outdoors and indoors. Health risks include heatstroke, dehydration, kidney dysfunction and neurological disorders. These are some of the conclusions of a joint report by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), which estimates that worker productivity falls by between 2% and 3% for every degree above 20°C. The document proposes measures for governments, businesses and health authorities to mitigate the risks of extreme heat for these people.

New gene editing technologies, such as gene drive tools, open the door to deliberately extinguishing species. An analysis article published in Science examines the ethical implications of this possibility based on three specific examples: the eradication of rats, the cattle barren worm, and the Anopheles gambiae mosquito, which transmits malaria. The analysis attempts to answer the question: ‘When and under what circumstances could the intentional eradication of a species be justified?".

A team from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Penn Medicine (United States) has successfully treated a baby diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder using personalised CRISPR gene editing therapy. The baby, known only by the initials KJ, was born with a rare metabolic disease known as severe carbamoyl phosphate synthetase 1 (CPS1) deficiency. After spending the first months of his life in hospital on a very restrictive diet, KJ received the first dose of his tailored therapy in February 2025, between six and seven months of age. The treatment, which is being used for the first time for this type of disorder, was administered safely, and the baby is now growing well and improving. The case is detailed in a study published by The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).