Scientists have uncovered a surprising secret behind a mushroom disease that has frustrated growers for more than a century: It involves more than 17 species of harmful bacteria, not just one. The discovery could explain why treatments have struggled to stop the disease and open the door to more effective, eco-friendly solutions.| More info

Scientists have discovered that E-cadherin, a protein best known as the “glue” holding cells and tissues together, has a surprising second job: helping epithelial cells swallow nearby dead cells. Using live zebrafish and mouse embryos, researchers found that cells can dramatically reshape their lower surfaces to engulf cellular debris while keeping their upper surfaces stable, allowing protective barriers to remain sealed.| More info

Scientists probing life’s deepest origins have uncovered evidence that the first free-living cells may have emerged not once, but twice. The findings suggest a striking possibility: life may share one ancient genetic code, yet have undergone two separate transitions into free-living existence.| More info

Before seedlings can photosynthesize, they depend on fatty acids—and on peroxisomes to process them. Researchers discovered that the protein PEX11 not only helps these structures divide but also controls their size during early growth. When key genes were altered, peroxisomes grew abnormally large, suggesting internal vesicles normally keep them in balance. Remarkably, a yeast version of the protein fixed the problem, pointing to a deeply conserved mechanism across species.| More info

Researchers have revealed how bacteria precisely control the genes that trigger cell division. The study shows that the MraZ protein, which normally forms a donut-shaped structure, must bend and partially break apart to bind key DNA sequences that activate division genes. Using cryo-electron microscopy, scientists captured this interaction in remarkable detail. The mechanism appears to be widespread across bacteria, offering a new window into how microbes regulate growth.| More info

Wireless millirobots the size of a pencil tip could one day replace open-heart surgery and ineffective drug therapy.| More info

Scientists develop a new way to manufacture ultralight, highly porous aerogels using vapor deposition, with potential applications from medicine to energy storage.| More info

Ultrafast X-rays reveal how enzymes make penicillin and process oxygen, exposing molecular steps that could guide future antibiotics and cancer treatments.| More info

New tattoo inks use dye-filled polymer nanoparticles to create multicolored designs that appear under UV light and disappear with visible light. Safety remains unproven.| More info

Scientists tuned the stiffness of glowing nanovesicles to measure hydrostatic pressure in two ways, opening a route to sensing in hard-to-reach environments.| More info