Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)

Air conditioning in buildings is necessary to combat the high temperatures of summers, which are becoming increasingly long and hot; however, it is not without controversy due to its energy consumption and environmental impact. Today, the WHO is presenting its new guidance on health and heat action plans, in which it acknowledges that air conditioning is problematic, while also emphasizing the need for vulnerable populations to have access to these systems. In a recent briefing organized by SMC Spain, we analyzed its role in the fight against global warming.

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.

As discussions around a possible “Blue COP31” gain momentum, a recent analysis published in Nature Portfolio warns that record ocean heat, intensifying marine heatwaves and accelerating sea-level rise are beginning to challenge international systems designed for a far more stable climate reality. The analysis proposes several priority actions to integrate the ocean more directly into international climate governance.

We often see headlines claiming that new research has found a ‘cure’ for diseases. However, what are the real chances of this being true? How does the current stage of the research affect its ultimate outcome? Has it already been tested on humans, or only on laboratory animals? In this article, we explain why animals are used in biomedicine, the reasons why mice are the most commonly used, the steps and timeframes involved from when a treatment appears effective until it can be determined whether it works in people, the characteristics and limitations of various disease models, and how results should be communicated to inform the public without raising false hopes.

An article published in Brain Health proposes using the concept of the ‘criticome’ to refer to the sensory, motor, social, cultural and environmental information recorded from pregnancy up to the age of 25, which is the period of greatest brain plasticity. According to the authors, this concept reframes autism, schizophrenia and depression as developmental disorders rather than purely synaptic disorders. Besides, they say this approach would have implications for educational policy, mental health care and screen use, amongst other issues.

A lightweight robotic device aids neuromuscular recovery in children with spinal muscular atrophy, helping them to stand unaided, according to a study published in Nature. The research involved six participants aged between six and 10 and shows that the device achieved significant improvements in lower limb motor function after six weeks of assisted training. The study highlights that the improvement persists after training is discontinued and conventional physiotherapy routines are resumed, demonstrating the potential for lasting recovery.  

The US company Colossal Biosciences claims to have successfully incubated a bird in an artificial egg system until it hatched. In a press release, the company states that this technology allows a bird embryo to develop fully outside the shell of a biological egg, and could be used to bring back extinct bird species such as the giant moa from New Zealand’s South Island.

Decades ago, concerns began to be raised about the decline in honeybee populations. Although their situation has improved, the same cannot be said for other pollinating insects. Together, they enable the reproduction of nearly 90% of flowering plants and directly contribute to three out of every four crops that feed the world. We examine the causes of this decline, their current situation, and the measures being taken to protect them.

A team from the United States analyzed 611 samples from 341 model mouse strains stored at the Mutant Mouse Resource and Research Centers (MMRRC), a research resource network supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). By comparing the identity of each strain with its actual genetic profile, they found that approximately half of the samples showed discrepancies. Although the expected engineered mutation was generally present and many inconsistencies were relatively minor, some had the potential to compromise the validity and reproducibility of the experiments by introducing hidden genetic variables that could alter biological outcomes. The findings are published in Science.

Craig Venter, the American biologist and entrepreneur who founded Celera Genomics to launch his own Human Genome Project in 1999 outside the public consortium, died Wednesday in San Diego at the age of 79, according to a statement from the J. Craig Venter Institute, which he led. Among other achievements, Venter completed the first full sequencing of a living organism’s genetic material and announced that he had succeeded in creating synthetic life.