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PLOS Biology
@plosbiology.org
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A leading life science journal that champions high-impact research across all disciplines—from molecules to ecosystems. We offer innovative formats and collaborative editorial support to ensure your work achieves its full scientific impact.
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PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · Feb 21
PLOS has issued a statement on recent US Executive Orders and scientific integrity.

We are determined to stand firmly behind our mission, our values and our principles, and against any attempt at censorship or undermining of the core principles of scientific inquiry.

plos.io/3D4O8cH
PLOS statement on recent US Executive Orders and scientific integrity - The Official PLOS Blog
Since its founding over twenty five years ago PLOS has been dedicated to advancing open science, ensuring that knowledge is accessible to…
plos.io
plosbiology.org
The ecological roles of bacterial #immune systems are poorly understood. Rafael Custodio @ellinoralseth.bsky.social @brockhurstlab.bsky.social @brownlab.bsky.social & Edze Westra explore how mobile genetic elements and bacterial defenses shape #microbiome structure and function 🧪
Bacterial immune systems as causes and consequences of microbiome structure
Bacterial immune systems have evolved in response to diverse molecular "parasites", yet their ecological roles remain poorly understood. This Essay explores how interactions between mobile genetic…
plos.io
November 24, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Reposted by PLOS Biology
plos.org
Congratulations to all 2025 Einstein Foundation Award winners!

We would also like to extend recognition to @simine.com , PLOS board member, named as this year’s Individual Awardee for her transformative work in psychological science.
@einsteinberlin.bsky.social | award.einsteinfoundation.de
November 24, 2025 at 4:29 PM
plosbiology.org
The ER provides the proper redox environment for S-S bond formation & protein folding. This study shows that the #cancer drug #hydroxyurea disrupts redox-dependent folding in the #ER, triggering a stress response, ER expansion & cytoplasmic protein aggregation @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/47U6ry0
Timelapse depicting NPC clustering and ER expansion in a Schizosaccharomyces pombe cell expressing Cut11-GFP and mCherry-AHDL after exposure to 150 mM HU for two hours before the beginning of the experiment. Arrows show the appearance of cortical ER expansions.
November 21, 2025 at 9:05 AM
plosbiology.org
Marine #phytoplankton need move up/down in the #ocean to access light & nutrients. Study of the effects of nutrient availability in 9 species reveals that phytoplankton have evolved multiple mechanisms that impact gravitational sinking in response to starvation @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/4iaJFoV
Left: Changes in cell density and cell volume when comparing high nutrient condition (base of each arrow) to indicated starvation conditions (tip of each arrow). Gravitational sinking velocities are indicated in color-coded background. Top right: A transmission electron microscopy image of Tetraselmis sp., a green alga, reveals the internal organization and composition of the cell, as seen under high-growth conditions. Bottom right: A scanning electron microscopy image of Tetraselmis sp., portraying the sinking of the cell following starvation. Image credits: Teemu P. Miettinen, Margaret Bisher, Abigail K. R. Lytton-Jean.
November 21, 2025 at 8:59 AM
plosbiology.org
The ecological roles of bacterial #immune systems are poorly understood. Rafael Custodio @ellinoralseth.bsky.social @brockhurstlab.bsky.social @brownlab.bsky.social & Edze Westra explore how mobile genetic elements and bacterial defenses shape #microbiome structure and function 🧪
Bacterial immune systems as causes and consequences of microbiome structure
Bacterial immune systems have evolved in response to diverse molecular "parasites", yet their ecological roles remain poorly understood. This Essay explores how interactions between mobile genetic…
plos.io
November 21, 2025 at 8:55 AM
Reposted by PLOS Biology
tatsuya-amano.bsky.social
How English-centric metrics distort global scientific productivity - a nice coverage of our recent paper (doi.org/10.1371/jour...) in @plosbiology.org
www.the-scientist.com/how-english-...
#languagebarriers
How English-Centric Metrics Distort Global Scientific Productivity
New research shows how language and income shape who gets credited for scientific output—and why women and non-native English speakers face persistent gaps.
www.the-scientist.com
November 21, 2025 at 6:05 AM
Reposted by PLOS Biology
rche54.bsky.social
So pleased to share the final version of this work published in @plosbiology.org ! journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
November 20, 2025 at 9:10 PM
plosbiology.org
Marine #phytoplankton need move up/down in the #ocean to access light & nutrients. Study of the effects of nutrient availability in 9 species reveals that phytoplankton have evolved multiple mechanisms that impact gravitational sinking in response to starvation @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/4iaJFoV
Left: Changes in cell density and cell volume when comparing high nutrient condition (base of each arrow) to indicated starvation conditions (tip of each arrow). Gravitational sinking velocities are indicated in color-coded background. Top right: A transmission electron microscopy image of Tetraselmis sp., a green alga, reveals the internal organization and composition of the cell, as seen under high-growth conditions. Bottom right: A scanning electron microscopy image of Tetraselmis sp., portraying the sinking of the cell following starvation. Image credits: Teemu P. Miettinen, Margaret Bisher, Abigail K. R. Lytton-Jean.
November 20, 2025 at 5:30 PM
plosbiology.org
The ER provides the proper redox environment for S-S bond formation & protein folding. This study shows that the #cancer drug #hydroxyurea disrupts redox-dependent folding in the #ER, triggering a stress response, ER expansion & cytoplasmic protein aggregation @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/47U6ry0
Timelapse depicting NPC clustering and ER expansion in a Schizosaccharomyces pombe cell expressing Cut11-GFP and mCherry-AHDL after exposure to 150 mM HU for two hours before the beginning of the experiment. Arrows show the appearance of cortical ER expansions.
November 20, 2025 at 5:25 PM
plosbiology.org
Welcome, dear sister, to BlueSky! The air is sweet here.
plosmedicine.bsky.social PLOS Medicine @plosmedicine.bsky.social · 4d
We are thrilled to now be on BlueSky!

We prioritize studies addressing critical health challenges—from major diseases to health equity—that bridge scientific rigor with real-world impact, connecting researchers, clinicians, and policymakers to advance global health 🧬🧪

#OpenScience #MedSky
November 20, 2025 at 2:39 PM
Reposted by PLOS Biology
plosmedicine.bsky.social
We are thrilled to now be on BlueSky!

We prioritize studies addressing critical health challenges—from major diseases to health equity—that bridge scientific rigor with real-world impact, connecting researchers, clinicians, and policymakers to advance global health 🧬🧪

#OpenScience #MedSky
November 20, 2025 at 2:31 PM
plosbiology.org
Marine #phytoplankton need move up/down in the #ocean to access light & nutrients. Study of the effects of nutrient availability in 9 species reveals that phytoplankton have evolved multiple mechanisms that impact gravitational sinking in response to starvation @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/4iaJFoV
Left: Changes in cell density and cell volume when comparing high nutrient condition (base of each arrow) to indicated starvation conditions (tip of each arrow). Gravitational sinking velocities are indicated in color-coded background. Top right: A transmission electron microscopy image of Tetraselmis sp., a green alga, reveals the internal organization and composition of the cell, as seen under high-growth conditions. Bottom right: A scanning electron microscopy image of Tetraselmis sp., portraying the sinking of the cell following starvation. Image credits: Teemu P. Miettinen, Margaret Bisher, Abigail K. R. Lytton-Jean.
November 20, 2025 at 2:05 PM
plosbiology.org
The ecological roles of bacterial #immune systems are poorly understood. Rafael Custodio @ellinoralseth.bsky.social @brockhurstlab.bsky.social @brownlab.bsky.social & Edze Westra explore how mobile genetic elements and bacterial defenses shape #microbiome structure and function 🧪
Bacterial immune systems as causes and consequences of microbiome structure
Bacterial immune systems have evolved in response to diverse molecular "parasites", yet their ecological roles remain poorly understood. This Essay explores how interactions between mobile genetic…
plos.io
November 20, 2025 at 1:55 PM
Reposted by PLOS Biology
peterhotezmdphd.bsky.social
journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
Lysenko
November 20, 2025 at 3:35 AM
plosbiology.org
The ER provides the proper redox environment for S-S bond formation & protein folding. This study shows that the #cancer drug #hydroxyurea disrupts redox-dependent folding in the #ER, triggering a stress response, ER expansion & cytoplasmic protein aggregation @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/47U6ry0
Timelapse depicting NPC clustering and ER expansion in a Schizosaccharomyces pombe cell expressing Cut11-GFP and mCherry-AHDL after exposure to 150 mM HU for two hours before the beginning of the experiment. Arrows show the appearance of cortical ER expansions.
November 20, 2025 at 1:51 PM
plosbiology.org
What's the role of #FrontopolarCortex (FPC) in evaluating alternative goals? @markboxf.bsky.social &co show that FPC activity tracks the value of #counterfactual rules via gamma & beta bursts; targeted FPC stimulation alters both neural signals & #DecisionMaking @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/4ppd5lL
Top left: Illustration showing the location of Utah arrays implanted into FPC of M1 (32 channels, blue) and M2 (64 channels, red); poststudy analysis confirmed both arrays implanted in the most rostro-lateral portion of FPC, with the entire array located rostral to the anterior tip of Principal Sulcus. Top right: Choice-aligned spectrogram showing a strong gamma frequency response (top). Array maps showing choice responses across the arrays implanted in M1 (blue) and M2 (red). Electrodes with significant gamma responses aligned to choices outlined in cyan. Red crosses indicate reference electrodes. Bottom left: Example spectrograms showing choice-aligned activity recorded from FPC following high-frequency stimulation (upper) or in the absence of stimulation (lower). Spectrogram calculated by averaging over the fifth to eighth trials after stimulation. Nonstimulation spectrogram calculated from the average spectrograms of trials from the last four trials of four nonstimulated blocks (i.e., same relative block epoch). White box indicates the 400 ms period used for further analysis. Bottom right: Illustration of the trials included in the analysis of changes in LFP activity recorded from FPC caused by electrical microstimulation. In stimulation blocks, the 10 trials before and 10 trials after the poststimulation block change were included (white box). In nonstimulation blocks a corresponding window of trials was selected.
November 20, 2025 at 8:55 AM
plosbiology.org
Attending #SfN25? Make sure you say hello to our editor Taylor Hart and check out our collection of articles on #neurotechnology
#neurosky 🧪
The promises and challenges of neurotechnology to improve human health and cognition
This PLOS Biology collection explores the present and possible futures of neurotechnology to improve human health and cognition.
plos.io
November 19, 2025 at 7:45 PM
Reposted by PLOS Biology
hannahthomasy.bsky.social
I swear I am not making this up.
The relationships between fungi and bugs are so weird and macabre.
journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
Key processes required for the different stages of fungal carnivory by a nematode-trapping fungus
Nutritional deprivation triggers a switch from saprotrophic to predatory lifestyle in soil-dwelling nematode-trapping fungi. This transcriptomic study reveals increased DNA replication, translation, a...
journals.plos.org
November 19, 2025 at 1:59 AM
Reposted by PLOS Biology
hannahthomasy.bsky.social
Did you know that some fungi are CARNIVOROUS? There are lots of species that do this, but I think Arthrobotrys oligospora is especially bonkers. These fungi sense when their prey (nematodes) are nearby by eavesdropping on the chemical signals that the nematodes use to communicate with each other 🧪🪲🍄
The predation process of the nematode trapping fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora.
YouTube video by Fungal-Worm Lab IMB Academia Sinica
www.youtube.com
November 19, 2025 at 1:59 AM
Reposted by PLOS Biology
stuwest.bsky.social
Amazing leaf camouflage experiments paired up with phylogeny showing how they got there. journals.plos.org/plosbiology/... @benitoexplains.bsky.social
November 13, 2025 at 4:56 PM
Reposted by PLOS Biology
scienceofpd.bsky.social
You know when you really wanna scream "Shut Up" to the world?

Do it

Researchers find environmental noise-induced changes to the inferior colliculus-substantia nigra circuit, promoting motor deficits & neuronal vulnerability in a #Parkinsons mouse model
journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
November 16, 2025 at 11:24 AM
Reposted by PLOS Biology
graham-raby.bsky.social
In this new study, we provide new data relevant to the debate about whether oxygen limitation is a universal driver of thermal tolerance in water breathing animals.

News story: www.trentu.ca/news/story/2...

Paper: journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...

Primer: journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
More Oxygen Won’t Save Fish from Warming Waters
Trent study helps inform long-standing theory about increasing oxygen levels in higher water temperatures to support heat tolerance in aquatic species
www.trentu.ca
November 18, 2025 at 1:38 PM
Reposted by PLOS Biology
ellinoralseth.bsky.social
Very happy to see this piece out in @plosbiology.org, on the bacterial immune systems and microbial communities. It was a great team effort with Rafael Custodio, @brockhurstlab.bsky.social , @brownlab.bsky.social, and Edze Westra! 🦠🧫 #phagesky #mevosky

journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
Bacterial immune systems as causes and consequences of microbiome structure
Bacterial immune systems have evolved in response to diverse molecular "parasites", yet their ecological roles remain poorly understood. This Essay explores how interactions between mobile genetic ele...
journals.plos.org
November 19, 2025 at 6:35 PM
plosbiology.org
What's the role of #FrontopolarCortex (FPC) in evaluating alternative goals? @markboxf.bsky.social &co show that FPC activity tracks the value of #counterfactual rules via gamma & beta bursts; targeted FPC stimulation alters both neural signals & #DecisionMaking @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/4ppd5lL
Top left: Illustration showing the location of Utah arrays implanted into FPC of M1 (32 channels, blue) and M2 (64 channels, red); poststudy analysis confirmed both arrays implanted in the most rostro-lateral portion of FPC, with the entire array located rostral to the anterior tip of Principal Sulcus. Top right: Choice-aligned spectrogram showing a strong gamma frequency response (top). Array maps showing choice responses across the arrays implanted in M1 (blue) and M2 (red). Electrodes with significant gamma responses aligned to choices outlined in cyan. Red crosses indicate reference electrodes. Bottom left: Example spectrograms showing choice-aligned activity recorded from FPC following high-frequency stimulation (upper) or in the absence of stimulation (lower). Spectrogram calculated by averaging over the fifth to eighth trials after stimulation. Nonstimulation spectrogram calculated from the average spectrograms of trials from the last four trials of four nonstimulated blocks (i.e., same relative block epoch). White box indicates the 400 ms period used for further analysis. Bottom right: Illustration of the trials included in the analysis of changes in LFP activity recorded from FPC caused by electrical microstimulation. In stimulation blocks, the 10 trials before and 10 trials after the poststimulation block change were included (white box). In nonstimulation blocks a corresponding window of trials was selected.
November 19, 2025 at 5:31 PM
plosbiology.org
How does the #tumor #microenvironment modulate sensitivity to nutrient restriction? @joannaqd.bsky.social @chengflylab.bsky.social &co show that this is regulated by the SCL36 AA transporter Pathetic at #BloodBrainBarrier glial cells in #Drosophila #brain tumors @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/4ibwXWY
Left: Maximum projection images of elavC155QF>QUAS-prosRi tumor brains stained with Repo and Dpn. The animals were moved from standard food to chemically defined diet (CDD) (top left), CDD minus Leu (top right), CDD minus Ile (bottom left), and CDD minus Met (bottom right) at 72hALH and dissected at 120hALH. Right: Schematic depicting the working model. Nutrient Restriction (NR) inhibits BBB glia expansion, which consequently limits brain tumor growth. The authors show that NR inhibits the expression of fat body and glia-derived Ilp6, causing downregulation of the InR/PI3K pathway in BBB glia. This results in a reduction in Path expression and the downstream mTOR-S6K pathway, causing a slowdown of BBB glial cell cycle progression. Path downregulation and defects in BBB expansion consequently led to a decrease in brain AAs, such as Leu, which hinders brain tumor protein synthesis to slow down tumor growth. Data information: ALH, after larvae hatching.
November 19, 2025 at 5:30 PM