Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Patrick Goymer

Science Magazine @science.org · 8h

Two major publishers have begun to automatically reject the vast majority of papers based on public health data sets, following revelations that unscrupulous actors use these data sets to churn out nonsense scientific papers. https://scim.ag/4mX3DnR

Journals and publishers crack down on research from open health data sets

PLOS, Frontiers, and others announce policies trying to stem the tide of suspect research

scim.ag

1 14 47

Reposted by Patrick Goymer

PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · 8h

Supplementary info of scientific articles enhances #transparency, #reproducibility & scientific impact. This study presents #FAIR-SMART, a tool that enables #FAIR computational access to these materials at scale, improving findability, interoperability & reuse @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/3KBYLHs

Left: Correlation between the sizes of supplementary materials (SM) and main texts. Right: Distribution of SM data size per article across different journal fields, highlighting the variation in SM data usage among research areas.

2 3

Patrick Goymer @patrickgoymer.bsky.social · 9h

A new study in @plosone.org reconstructs Centropomus phylogeny and biogeography, revealing four species groups, multiple cryptic lineages, a Miocene origin with most diversification in the Pliocene–Pleistocene, and a major role for the Isthmus of Panama and habitat shifts.

Evolutionary history of the snooks: Phylogeny, biogeography and diversification of the genus Centropomus

The snooks (Centropomus spp.) are a group of 13 morphologically similar fish species that are widely distributed off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the Americas. This study used a multilocus…

doi.org

Reposted by Patrick Goymer

IFLScience @iflscience.com · 1d

400,000-Year-Old Fossil Shows Butchering Elephants Helped Early Humans To Supersize Their Tools

www.iflscience.com/400000-year-...

400,000-Year-Old Fossil Shows Butchering Elephants Helped Early Humans To Supersize Their Tools

It’s astonishing how tiny most of the stones used to cut up this elephant were.

www.iflscience.com

2 6

Patrick Goymer @patrickgoymer.bsky.social · 11h

A new study in @plosone.org documents anatomical changes and between-individual variability across reproductive phases in the tract and pouch of female common opossums (Didelphis marsupialis), providing baseline morphological data for marsupial reproductive biology.

Reproductive tract and pouch anatomical variability across the reproductive phases in female common opossum (Didelphis marsupialis Linnaeus, 1758)

Colombia’s diverse ecosystems are home to various marsupial species known for its distinctive reproductive traits. Limited research has explored the reproductive anatomy of Didelphis marsupialis,…

doi.org

Reposted by Patrick Goymer

Nature @nature.com.web.brid.gy · Sep 5

Changing tides ushered in the world’s first civilization

Nature, Published online: 04 September 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-02837-8 Construction of tidal irrigation systems helped to drive the formation of city states some 5,000 years ago.

www.nature.com

1

Reposted by Patrick Goymer

Nature @nature.com.web.brid.gy · Aug 28

Even dinosaurs weren’t safe from this giant croc-like predator

Nature, Published online: 28 August 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-02727-z The creature might have been more than 3.5 meters long, with powerful jaws and serrated, flesh-cutting teeth.

www.nature.com

1

Patrick Goymer @patrickgoymer.bsky.social · 13h

A new study in @plosone.org compares gut microbiome diversity across herbivores in Etosha National Park and identifies species-specific microbiome patterns linked to diet and ecology, potentially allowing wildlife managers to track microbial shifts in host species over time.

doi.org/10.1371/jour...

Interspecific variation in gut microbiome diversity across the Etosha National Park herbivore community

The community of microbes in the gastrointestinal tract of mammals, known as the gut microbiome (GMB), plays a critical role in host ecology and evolution. GMB variation is modulated by both host phys...

doi.org

Reposted by Patrick Goymer

Jeffrey Ross-Ibarra @jrossibarra.bsky.social · 1d

PEQG website live! genetics-gsa.org/peqg-2026/

Homepage - 2026 Population, Evolutionary, and Quantitative Genetics Conference

Visit our website to learn more.

genetics-gsa.org

22 38

Reposted by Patrick Goymer

Society for the Study of Evolution @sse-evolution.bsky.social · 3d

Nominations are now open for the Dobzhansky Prize, which recognizes the accomplishments and future promise of an outstanding early-career evolutionary biologist. The award includes $5000 and an award talk at the in-person Evolution meeting. Deadline: December 1
shorturl.at/p70wY

Text: Society for the Study of Evolution Dobzhansky Prize to recognize the accomplishments and future promise of an outstanding early-career evolutionary biologist. Nominations due December 1, 2025.

19 20

Reposted by Patrick Goymer

Science Magazine @science.org · 1d

In an analysis of 1.2 million news stories about scholarly research, men-led papers were found to receive more attention overall and were heavily overrepresented in the top 5% of most covered studies. https://scim.ag/4o7l5a5

When women researchers publish, media attention doesn’t always follow

Men-led papers receive more media coverage than women’s, new study finds

scim.ag

4 33 53

Patrick Goymer @patrickgoymer.bsky.social · 1d

A new study in @plosone.org investigates how Ib-M antimicrobial peptides disrupt E. coli membranes using fluorescence assays and microscopy. The work clarifies peptide-lipid interactions that underlie bacterial killing and informs new antimicrobial peptide design.

journals.plos.org/plosone/arti...

Structural and functional analysis of Escherichia coli membrane disruption by Ib-M peptides

Antimicrobial resistance represents a critical global public health challenge, leading to increased mortality and morbidity due to the ineffectiveness of current antibiotics against bacterial infectio...

journals.plos.org

Patrick Goymer @patrickgoymer.bsky.social · 1d

A new study in @plosone.org shows octopuses can follow chemosensory plumes in moving water to locate food sources. Researchers observed that octopuses use chemical cues to track prey trails, highlighting complex sensory integration in cephalopod foraging.

journals.plos.org/plosone/arti...

Octopus track chemosensory plumes to find food

Chemosensory plume-guided navigation, tracking a chemical plume to its source, is a primordial behavior used by many animals to search beyond the visual range. Here we report the first laboratory obse...

journals.plos.org

1

Patrick Goymer @patrickgoymer.bsky.social · 1d

Expanding energy infrastructure adds electromagnetic fields (EMFs) to aquatic ecosystems. A study in @plosone.org shows that Vimba vimba embryos exposed to EMFs have higher heart rates but also signs of physiological adaptation under hatchery-level EMF exposure.

journals.plos.org/plosone/arti...

Cardiac function in Vimba vimba embryos under electromagnetic exposure at hatchery-relevant intensities

The increasing expansion of energy infrastructure and anthropogenic transformation of the environment have introduced electromagnetic fields (EMFs) into aquatic ecosystems. While studies on the impact...

journals.plos.org

Patrick Goymer @patrickgoymer.bsky.social · 1d

A new study in @plosone.org uses a pilot-scale recirculating depuration system to reduce Vibrio parahaemolyticus levels in commercial oysters, and demonstrates that non-pathogenic strains can act as valid surrogates in commercial validation trials.

journals.plos.org/plosone/arti...

Pilot-scale depuration demonstrates the suitability of non-pathogenic Vibrio parahaemolyticus as a surrogate for commercial-scale validation studies

Shellfish producers have proposed using depuration systems to reduce Vibrio parahaemolyticus levels by supporting the oysters’ natural purging ability. For commercial viability, depuration efficacy mu...

journals.plos.org

Patrick Goymer @patrickgoymer.bsky.social · 2d

New work in @plosone.org shows that fungus-growing ant queens harbor species-specific bacterial communities in their eggs, ovaries and tissues, and suggests maternal (vertical) transmission of symbionts rather than purely environmental acquisition.

Bacterial communities of fungus-growing ant queens are species-specific and suggest vertical transmission

Multipartite symbioses are inherently complex, involving dynamic ecological interactions between organisms with intertwined yet distinct evolutionary histories. The fungus-growing (attine) ants…

journals.plos.org

Patrick Goymer @patrickgoymer.bsky.social · 2d

A new study in @plosone.org uses camera-trap data to show that male jaguars in Belize shift their ranges, overlap extensively, and lack exclusive territoriality, suggesting a scramble-competition mating system rather than strict mate monopoly.

Long-term spatial dynamics of jaguars in a high-density population

We assessed the socio-spatial dynamics of a jaguar population over 15 years using camera-trap data from Belize. Using ~4,000 independent detections of male jaguars, we documented and quantified range…

journals.plos.org

Patrick Goymer @patrickgoymer.bsky.social · 2d

A newly discovered TRPV5/6-like ion channel in the coral Pocillopora damicornis shows high calcium permeability, resistance to conventional inhibitors, and sensitivity to menthol, suggesting a role in coral calcification and potential links to bleaching responses.

journals.plos.org/plosone/arti...

A novel TRPV5/6-like channel from a scleractinian coral

The calcium regulation mechanisms that underlie skeleton formation in stony corals are poorly understood. In epithelial tissues from vertebrates, transient receptor potential vanilloids 5 and 6 (TRPV5...

journals.plos.org

Patrick Goymer @patrickgoymer.bsky.social · 2d

A new study in @plosone.org reveals that overexpression of FZD7, especially when combined with CD133, drives stem-cell–like features, impairs differentiation, and correlates with poor prognosis in human hepatocellular carcinoma.

Frizzled 7 drives amplification of cancer stem-cell subpopulations and the aggressiveness and poor differentiation of human hepatocellular carcinoma

FZD7 is one of the key players in the subset of WNT-TGFβ-activated hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC), but the consequences of its abnormal expression on hepatocarcinogenesis remain to be better…

journals.plos.org

Reposted by Patrick Goymer

PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · 2d

Sleep is often only investigated from a single dimension. @bttyeo.bsky.social &co identify 5 sleep-biopsychosocial profiles that link self-reported #sleep patterns to variability in #health, #cognition & #lifestyle factors in 770 healthy young adults @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/42tRXSc

Canonical correlation analysis reveals five sleep-biopsychosocial profiles (LCs). Scatter plots showing correlations between biopsychosocial and sleep canonical scores. Each dot represents a different participant. The inset shows the null distribution of canonical correlations obtained by permutation testing; note that the null distribution is not centered at zero. The dashed line indicates the actual canonical correlation computed for each LC. The distribution of sleep (top) and biopsychosocial (right) canonical scores is shown on rain cloud plots.

1 6

Patrick Goymer @patrickgoymer.bsky.social · 2d

A new study in @plosone.org of a catch-neuter-vaccinate-release (CNVR) program in India found that it reduced mange, transmissible venereal tumours, and pregnancy in free-roaming dogs. Numbers of sterilised dogs observed increased but so did the population overall.

journals.plos.org/plosone/arti...

Changes in free-roaming dog population demographics and health associated with a catch-neuter-vaccinate-release program in Jamshedpur, India

India’s large free-roaming dog populations contribute to significant human health, environmental, and social challenges. Population management strategies, such as catch-neuter-vaccinate-release (CNVR)...

journals.plos.org

Patrick Goymer @patrickgoymer.bsky.social · 2d

A new study in @plosone.org shows significant age-related degeneration of outer hair cells, synapses, stria vascularis, and neurons in mice, and suggests that age-related hearing loss results from both oxidative stress and lifelong noise exposure.

journals.plos.org/plosone/arti...

Histopathological change of age-related hearing loss in female advance-aged CBA/CaJ mice

With the increase in the older population, the number of individuals with age-related hearing loss is also growing explosively. Therefore, there is an urgent need to identify the detailed pathology of...

journals.plos.org

Patrick Goymer @patrickgoymer.bsky.social · 2d

Using GPS tracking of 29 Falkland Steamer Ducks, a new study in @plosone.org found that home-range size, movement, foraging time and distance vary with breeding status and proximity to kelp beds, freshwater and human sites, highlighting kelp’s conservation value.

journals.plos.org/plosone/arti...

Home range and activity budget in the Falkland Steamer Duck (Tachyeres brachypterus)

The Falkland Islands support globally important populations of seabirds and coastal birds, underscoring their value for international conservation efforts. However, substantial knowledge gaps impede t...

journals.plos.org

Reposted by Patrick Goymer

Philip Ball @philipcball.bsky.social · 3d

2012 Nobel laureate John Gurdon has died. His work was central to both the development of animal cloning and the possibility of reprogramming cells to a different state. A giant of cell and developmental biology.
www.magd.cam.ac.uk/news/profess...

Professor Sir John Gurdon FRS (1933-2025) | Magdalene College

Magdalene College is deeply saddened to announce the death of Professor Sir John Gurdon FRS, who served as Master of the College from 1995 to 2002.

www.magd.cam.ac.uk

25 54

Patrick Goymer @patrickgoymer.bsky.social · 3d

A new study in @plosone.org shows that invasive red-eared sliders in Illinois carry several pathogens without showing symptoms, thereby potentially acting as hidden carriers that pose a threat to native turtle populations through disease transmission.

journals.plos.org/plosone/arti...

Health assessment of non-native red-eared sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans) and their impact potential on native species

Red-eared sliders (RES; Trachemys scripta elegans) are a globally invasive species that can impact native chelonian populations through resource competition and disease introduction. In Cook County, I...

journals.plos.org