Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Alexei Maklakov @alexeimaklakov.bsky.social · 1h

www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

A cGAS-mediated mechanism in naked mole-rats potentiates DNA repair and delays aging

Efficient DNA repair might make possible the longevity of naked mole-rats. However, whether they have distinctive mechanisms to optimize functions of DNA repair suppressors is unclear. We find that na...

www.science.org

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Reposted by Alexei Maklakov

Eric Topol @erictopol.bsky.social · 1d

Why does the naked mole rat have the longest lifespan of any rodent, nearly 40 years?
A 30-year long mystery unraveled @ScienceMagazine today!
Its cGAS enzyme in cells has 4 missense mutations that upends its function, promoting DNA repair and suppressing inflammation
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

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Reposted by Alexei Maklakov

Naomi Moris @nmoris.bsky.social · 1d

The Crick is looking for new junior group leaders! Any postdocs or early career researchers wanting to be our colleagues should apply 👍

The Francis Crick Institute @crick.ac.uk · 1d

We're now recruiting early career group leaders at the Crick to lead ambitious research programmes and explore bold scientific questions.

Hear our Director, Edith Heard, explain why the Crick is a unique place for curiosity-driven research.

Apply now ➡️ www.crick.ac.uk/careers-stud...

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Reposted by Alexei Maklakov

Jonathan C Slaght @jonathanslaght.com · 7d

super cool study found human artifacts in Bearded vulture nests, incl. "weaponry like a crossbow bolt and wooden lance, decorated sheep leather, and parts of a slingshot....a shoe made from twigs and grass is ~675-years-old." link to paper: doi.org/10.1002/ecy..... www.popsci.com/environment/... 🧪🌍🦉

Multi-generational vulture nests hold 700 years of human artifacts

Crossbow bolts, sandals, slingshots, and more.

www.popsci.com

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Reposted by Alexei Maklakov

EvolDir @evoldir.bsky.social · 8d

The University of East Anglia seeks a Senior Research Associate in evolutionary ecology of animal behaviour and gut microbiome, with a salary of £38,784 to £46,049. Apply by 31 Oct 2025. Details: https://www.uea.ac.uk. #job

Find your place at UEA

The University of East Anglia is a home for everyone, a champion of interdisciplinarity that stands for equal opportunity in higher education. Join us at an Open Day.

www.uea.ac.uk

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Reposted by Alexei Maklakov

Jay 🦋 @jay.bsky.team · 8d

“It actually doesn’t take much to be considered a difficult woman. That’s why there are so many of us.”
― Jane Goodall

💙 RIP to a real one. My childhood hero

Jane Goodall with monarch butterfly scarf

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Reposted by Alexei Maklakov

UEA Biological Sciences @biouea.bsky.social · 8d

"Everything is connected. Everyone can make a difference."
Rest in peace, Jane Goodall.
We are proud to have known you.
#UEAScience

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Reposted by Alexei Maklakov

Nature @nature.com · 8d

“Without them, it’s hard to imagine research continuing at anything near the pace and quality we’ve seen in the past.”

Beyond the crucial data they contain, model organism databases have provided an important space for researchers to exchange ideas and resources
go.nature.com/4nVQ7lb

Model organism databases face budget cuts and closures

Beyond the crucial data they contain, these digital archives have provided an important space for academic communities to exchange ideas and resources.

go.nature.com

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Reposted by Alexei Maklakov

Ed Ivimey-Cook @eivimeycook.bsky.social · 8d

A fantastic few days of ageing talks, great people, and excellent food!

Massive thanks to (Hanna!) @kokkonut.bsky.social, Margaux Bieuville, Victor Ronget, and the fantastic people at The Gutenberg Workshops in the Life Sciences

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Reposted by Alexei Maklakov

Alice Godden @alicegodden.bsky.social · 8d

🧬 Our latest paper out in Scientific Reports!
We explored how Gum Arabic (a dietary fibre) affects the microbiota–gut–brain axis and whole-organism fitness in zebrafish.

🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
@immler.bsky.social @biouea.bsky.social

What we found ⬇️

Gum Arabic modulates the microbiota-gut-brain axis and affects general fitness in zebrafish - Scientific Reports

Scientific Reports - Gum Arabic modulates the microbiota-gut-brain axis and affects general fitness in zebrafish

www.nature.com

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Reposted by Alexei Maklakov

Ed Ivimey-Cook @eivimeycook.bsky.social · 11d

Back in Ingelheim for another Evolution of Ageing workshop (massive thanks to The Gutenberg Workshops in the Life Sciences for hosting). It’s set to be a great three days of talks and presentations!

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Reposted by Alexei Maklakov

Alper Akay @alperakay.bsky.social · 12d

Super frustrating story on how NHS missed lyme disease and how ME/CFS has become an umbrella diagnosis for doctors. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/s...

As my daughter got sicker and sicker, our quest for answers dragged on. How did we all miss the bacteria taking over her body?

I write about nature, but when Milly got sick with a mystery illness, it never occurred to me that a long-forgotten tick bite could be the cause

www.theguardian.com

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Alexei Maklakov @alexeimaklakov.bsky.social · 15d

www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Lysosomes signal through the epigenome to regulate longevity across generations

The epigenome is sensitive to metabolic inputs and is crucial for aging. Lysosomes act as a signaling hub to sense metabolic cues and regulate longevity. We found that lysosomal metabolic pathways sig...

www.science.org

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Reposted by Alexei Maklakov

Eric Topol @erictopol.bsky.social · 19d

Which one is it going to be?
www.economist.com/leaders/2025...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/m...

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Alexei Maklakov @alexeimaklakov.bsky.social · 22d

We argue that selection shadow - gradual decline in the force of selection after the onset of reproduction - is sufficient/parsimonious to explain why damage accumulates with age. 'Aging clocks' measure damage accumulation, they neither require nor support any kind of 'program'-based explanation.

David Meyer @meyerdh.bsky.social · 22d

🕰️ Is aging driven by a programmed/programmatic mechanism, or by the unavoidable burden of imperfect maintenance? Our perspective argues that aging reflects finite maintenance and reduced evolutionary pressure🧵🧪 www.nature.com/articles/s43... @bjornschumacher.bsky.social @alexeimaklakov.bsky.social

Aging by the clock and yet without a program - Nature Aging

Meyer and colleagues refute the idea that, as aging can be tracked precisely by clocks, it must be driven by a biological program. They propose that imperfect maintenance and repair processes resultin...

www.nature.com

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Reposted by Alexei Maklakov

Eric Topol @erictopol.bsky.social · 22d

Low dose aspirin (160mg/d) reduced recurrence in people with colon cancer and PI3K mutations. Emblematic of precision, individualized medicine since the data for aspirin across all colon cancer has been mixed.
www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....

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Reposted by Alexei Maklakov

Advance HE @advancehe.bsky.social · 24d

Well done @kellyedmunds.bsky.social @uniofeastanglia.bsky.social on your #NTFS2025 award! Kelly is a leading educator at UEA, renowned for transforming science education through inclusive, student-centred pedagogy.

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Alice Godden @alicegodden.bsky.social · 24d

Our new paper is out in Dev Biol! 🎉 🐸🧬
We show #miR-196a directs #neural crest fate in #Xenopus by repressing immature neural #ectoderm — evidence #miRNAs can potentially drive, not just fine-tune, early patterning
👉 Read more here: doi.org/10.1016/j.yd...
@devbiol.bsky.social @biouea.bsky.social

Schematic overview of our project. Dissection of Xenopus neural crest following morpholino knockdown of miRNA, then extraction of RNA for RNA-seq

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Marianna Karageorgi @mkarag.bsky.social · 25d

How do populations maintain an evolutionary memory? I am happy to share that our work with Dmitri Petrov @petrovadmitri.bsky.social, Paul Schmidt, and colleagues on dominance reversal and stabilization of insecticide resistance in changing environments over time is now published at Nature EE.

Beneficial reversal of dominance maintains a large-effect resistance polymorphism under fluctuating insecticide selection - Nature Ecology & Evolution

Measuring selection and dominance in fitness of the insecticide-resistant Ace alleles in Drosophila melanogaster, the authors show evidence for beneficial reversal of dominance, a mechanism that can s...

www.nature.com

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Reposted by Alexei Maklakov

Arvid Ågren @arvidagren.bsky.social · 25d

Take a sneak peak at The Paradox of the Organism at Google books books.google.com/books?hl=sv&...

Don’t forget to pre-order!

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Reposted by Alexei Maklakov

Eric Topol @erictopol.bsky.social · 25d

Two new randomized trials testing higher dose semaglutide (Ozempic) for obesity, obesity + diabetes: some further weight loss, similar safety profile
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...

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Reposted by Alexei Maklakov

Daniel Bolnick @danielbolnick.bsky.social · 27d

Cover of the new issue of Evolution Letters @evolletters.bsky.social featuring our stickleback-tapeworm paper. academic.oup.com/evlett
What happens to immunity and infection prevalence in the 50 years after a host invades a new location