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PLOS Biology
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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
Meet one of our editors at this unique @‌keystoneSymposia.bsky.social meeting exploring how immune signaling influences organ preservation, communication, and longevity.

🔗 plos.io/4a6Fln0 #KSAging26
February 2, 2026 at 3:16 PM
plosbiology.org
#Probiotics can influence neuronal health, but how does this happen? @aaballay.bsky.social &co show that #Enterococcus faecium activates an intestinal NHR-86/CYP450 pathway that lowers #ROS and protects #MotorNeurons, in a nematode model of #ALS @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/3Mc0iVw
Representative images of the ALS sod-1 A4VM model show motor neuron degeneration in animals fed Escherichia coli followed by oxidative stress induced by 5 mM paraquat. Cholinergic motor neurons were visualized with unc-17p::GFP. After 24 hours of exposure, representative images of sod-1 A4VM animals were captured, showing those without (top) and with (bottom) neurodegeneration. Enlarged images in the right panels highlight motor neuron defects, indicated by red circles.
February 2, 2026 at 2:05 PM
plosbiology.org
How does superficial white matter contribute to large-scale #brain function? @borismontreal.bsky.social &co use an approach based on 3D histology & 7-Tesla MRI to reveal associations between superficial #WhiteMatter microstructure & diverse cortical properties @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/460WNIz
Histology-based SWM microstructure intensity profile. Top: SWM sampling framework from 3D postmortem histology. The Laplacian field within the white matter domain was solved for each histological classified volume to sample 50 SWM surfaces, spanning from the GM/WM interface to 3 mm into the white matter. These surfaces were then mapped to each histological staining method, allowing the extraction of intensity profiles for each vertex across SWM depths. Bottom: Alterations in the intensity distributions of histological features across SWM depths. The GM/WM interface (0 mm) and 25 representative SWM surfaces (up to 3 mm into the white matter) are shown. The surfaces showing the greatest variation in SWM, from 0 to 1.8 mm into the white matter, were mapped onto the brain alongside the intensity profiles on the left.
February 2, 2026 at 2:01 PM
plosbiology.org
How are energy #metabolism pathways distributed across the #cortex? @alaindagher.bsky.social &co map five pathways in the human #brain, linking metabolic organization with brain structural & functional properties, as well as developmental dynamics @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/4c1JVp8
Left: Pathways involved in brain energy metabolism. Energy metabolism refers to processes involved in energy production from nutrient molecules. Glucose is the main energy source in the brain under normal physiological conditions. Glucose entering brain cells can be utilized in three parallel pathways. It can be processed through glycolysis to produce 2 ATP and 2 pyruvate molecules (blue). Lactate dehydrogenases catalyze the interconversion of lactate and pyruvate (purple). Pyruvate is transported into mitochondria, where it enters the TCA cycle to generate high-energy electron carriers NADH and FADH2 (green), driving the complete oxidation of glucose through the mitochondrial electron transport chain (red). Glucose entering the brain can also enter the PPP. PPP is an anabolic pathway that uses glucose to produce 5-carbon sugars and NADPH, an essential co-factor used in nucleotide and lipid biosynthesis (yellow). Glucose can also be stored in the form of glycogen via glycogen synthase, a process mainly active in astrocytes. Right: Energy pathway maps. Colors show z-scored mean expression values across all genes in each pathway. ppp, pentose phosphate pathway; tca, tricarboxylic acid cycle; oxphos, oxidative phosphorylation; lactate, lactate metabolism and transport.
February 2, 2026 at 1:55 PM
Reposted by PLOS Biology
plosone.org
For #WorldWetlandsDay 2026, a selection of recent research in @plosone.org highlighting the diverse physical and biological roles of these important ecosystems.

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February 2, 2026 at 12:36 PM
plosbiology.org
#Probiotics can influence neuronal health, but how does this happen? @aaballay.bsky.social &co show that #Enterococcus faecium activates an intestinal NHR-86/CYP450 pathway that lowers #ROS and protects #MotorNeurons, in a nematode model of #ALS @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/3Mc0iVw
Representative images of the ALS sod-1 A4VM model show motor neuron degeneration in animals fed Escherichia coli followed by oxidative stress induced by 5 mM paraquat. Cholinergic motor neurons were visualized with unc-17p::GFP. After 24 hours of exposure, representative images of sod-1 A4VM animals were captured, showing those without (top) and with (bottom) neurodegeneration. Enlarged images in the right panels highlight motor neuron defects, indicated by red circles.
February 2, 2026 at 9:51 AM
plosbiology.org
How does superficial white matter contribute to large-scale #brain function? @borismontreal.bsky.social &co use an approach based on 3D histology & 7-Tesla MRI to reveal associations between superficial #WhiteMatter microstructure & diverse cortical properties @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/460WNIz
Histology-based SWM microstructure intensity profile. Top: SWM sampling framework from 3D postmortem histology. The Laplacian field within the white matter domain was solved for each histological classified volume to sample 50 SWM surfaces, spanning from the GM/WM interface to 3 mm into the white matter. These surfaces were then mapped to each histological staining method, allowing the extraction of intensity profiles for each vertex across SWM depths. Bottom: Alterations in the intensity distributions of histological features across SWM depths. The GM/WM interface (0 mm) and 25 representative SWM surfaces (up to 3 mm into the white matter) are shown. The surfaces showing the greatest variation in SWM, from 0 to 1.8 mm into the white matter, were mapped onto the brain alongside the intensity profiles on the left.
February 2, 2026 at 9:00 AM
plosbiology.org
How are energy #metabolism pathways distributed across the #cortex? @alaindagher.bsky.social &co map five pathways in the human #brain, linking metabolic organization with brain structural & functional properties, as well as developmental dynamics @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/4c1JVp8
Left: Pathways involved in brain energy metabolism. Energy metabolism refers to processes involved in energy production from nutrient molecules. Glucose is the main energy source in the brain under normal physiological conditions. Glucose entering brain cells can be utilized in three parallel pathways. It can be processed through glycolysis to produce 2 ATP and 2 pyruvate molecules (blue). Lactate dehydrogenases catalyze the interconversion of lactate and pyruvate (purple). Pyruvate is transported into mitochondria, where it enters the TCA cycle to generate high-energy electron carriers NADH and FADH2 (green), driving the complete oxidation of glucose through the mitochondrial electron transport chain (red). Glucose entering the brain can also enter the PPP. PPP is an anabolic pathway that uses glucose to produce 5-carbon sugars and NADPH, an essential co-factor used in nucleotide and lipid biosynthesis (yellow). Glucose can also be stored in the form of glycogen via glycogen synthase, a process mainly active in astrocytes. Right: Energy pathway maps. Colors show z-scored mean expression values across all genes in each pathway. ppp, pentose phosphate pathway; tca, tricarboxylic acid cycle; oxphos, oxidative phosphorylation; lactate, lactate metabolism and transport.
February 2, 2026 at 8:55 AM
plosbiology.org
Sign up for ‘Biological oscillators: rhythms and synchronisation across scales’. This @‌events.embl.org Symposium will include topics on neuronal and cardiac dynamics, circadian and developmental rhythms, and oscillations in ecological and climate systems.

Find out more ➡️ plos.io/46ozzvR

#EESBioOsc
January 30, 2026 at 3:30 PM
Reposted by PLOS Biology
ellenfoxman.bsky.social
#Epithelialmechanics fans...interferons protect against viruses but also impair recovery post-infection. In new work @plosbiology.org we show that interferons block epithelial repair by co-opting the Hippo pathway #innateimmunity #lungs #respiratory journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
Dose-dependent activation of the Hippo pathway by Type I and Type III interferons suppresses tissue repair by human bronchial epithelial cells
Interferons (IFNs) initiate antiviral defence when infected cells sense a virus protecting against infection via JAK/STAT signaling, but can hinder recovery by impairing tissue repair by an unknown me...
journals.plos.org
January 29, 2026 at 3:43 PM
Reposted by PLOS Biology
diorkelley.bsky.social
Excited to join the Editorial Board of @plosbiology.org, the #PLOS flagship journal in the Life Sciences, that's blazing a trail in support of selective, equitable #OpenScience and reaching global audiences to help advance science faster 📝 🤓 🌱
January 29, 2026 at 5:28 PM
plosbiology.org
#Cancer #immunotherapy faces widespread resistance via mechanisms like PD-L1 suppression. This study identifies the metabolic enzyme HSD17B12 as a regulator of PD-L1 degradation, showing that an HSD17B12-derived peptide boosts #AntiTumor #immunity in a mouse model @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/4k2rtyR
HSD17B12 interacts with PD-L1 in living cells.Top: PD-L1 partially colocalizes with HSD17B12 in A375 cells. Representative images are shown (scale bars: 5 μm). Immunofluorescence staining was performed using anti-PD-L1 and anti-HSD17B12 antibodies. Bottom: Schematic model showing membrane localization of HSD17B12.
January 29, 2026 at 9:00 AM
plosbiology.org
Organoids are key models for studying development & disease, but heterogeneity is a problem. @wittbrodtlab.bsky.social use #DeepLearning to predict differentiation paths & resulting tissues in #retinal organoids, with implications for other #organoid systems @plosborn.bsky.social 🧪 plos.io/45VTMt1
Global morphological heterogeneity of retinal organoids across development. Top row: Image segmentation and analysis pipeline. A convolutional neural network (CNN) with the DeepLabV3 architecture was trained on 841 images and their manually annotated masks (left). The CNN was subsequently used to segment all images of the dataset that were finally subjected to a pipeline extracting a total of 165 morphological parameters (morphometrics, right), including, among others, shape descriptors and image moments. Intra-experimental global morphological organoid heterogeneity. Time-series images from one representative experiment were analyzed using the image analysis pipeline and subjected to t-SNE dimensionality reduction on the first 20 principal components. Data points were colored by individual organoids (left graph) and time frames of organoid development within the imaging window (right graph). While organoids clustered closely at earlier time points (up to 24 h), they strongly diverged at later time points, suggesting increasing inter-individual changes of their morphological characteristics over time.
January 29, 2026 at 8:55 AM
plosbiology.org
#Cancer #immunotherapy faces widespread resistance via mechanisms like PD-L1 suppression. This study identifies the metabolic enzyme HSD17B12 as a regulator of PD-L1 degradation, showing that an HSD17B12-derived peptide boosts #AntiTumor #immunity in a mouse model @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/4k2rtyR
HSD17B12 interacts with PD-L1 in living cells.Top: PD-L1 partially colocalizes with HSD17B12 in A375 cells. Representative images are shown (scale bars: 5 μm). Immunofluorescence staining was performed using anti-PD-L1 and anti-HSD17B12 antibodies. Bottom: Schematic model showing membrane localization of HSD17B12.
January 28, 2026 at 5:30 PM
plosbiology.org
Organoids are key models for studying development & disease, but heterogeneity is a problem. @wittbrodtlab.bsky.social use #DeepLearning to predict differentiation paths & resulting tissues in #retinal organoids, with implications for other #organoid systems @plosborn.bsky.social 🧪 plos.io/45VTMt1
Global morphological heterogeneity of retinal organoids across development. Top row: Image segmentation and analysis pipeline. A convolutional neural network (CNN) with the DeepLabV3 architecture was trained on 841 images and their manually annotated masks (left). The CNN was subsequently used to segment all images of the dataset that were finally subjected to a pipeline extracting a total of 165 morphological parameters (morphometrics, right), including, among others, shape descriptors and image moments. Intra-experimental global morphological organoid heterogeneity. Time-series images from one representative experiment were analyzed using the image analysis pipeline and subjected to t-SNE dimensionality reduction on the first 20 principal components. Data points were colored by individual organoids (left graph) and time frames of organoid development within the imaging window (right graph). While organoids clustered closely at earlier time points (up to 24 h), they strongly diverged at later time points, suggesting increasing inter-individual changes of their morphological characteristics over time.
January 28, 2026 at 5:25 PM
plosbiology.org
#Cancer #immunotherapy faces widespread resistance via mechanisms like PD-L1 suppression. This study identifies the metabolic enzyme HSD17B12 as a regulator of PD-L1 degradation, showing that an HSD17B12-derived peptide boosts #AntiTumor #immunity in a mouse model @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/4k2rtyR
HSD17B12 interacts with PD-L1 in living cells.Top: PD-L1 partially colocalizes with HSD17B12 in A375 cells. Representative images are shown (scale bars: 5 μm). Immunofluorescence staining was performed using anti-PD-L1 and anti-HSD17B12 antibodies. Bottom: Schematic model showing membrane localization of HSD17B12.
January 28, 2026 at 2:05 PM
plosbiology.org
Organoids are key models for studying development & disease, but heterogeneity is a problem. @wittbrodtlab.bsky.social use #DeepLearning to predict differentiation paths & resulting tissues in #retinal organoids, with implications for other #organoid systems @plosborn.bsky.social 🧪 plos.io/45VTMt1
Global morphological heterogeneity of retinal organoids across development. Top row: Image segmentation and analysis pipeline. A convolutional neural network (CNN) with the DeepLabV3 architecture was trained on 841 images and their manually annotated masks (left). The CNN was subsequently used to segment all images of the dataset that were finally subjected to a pipeline extracting a total of 165 morphological parameters (morphometrics, right), including, among others, shape descriptors and image moments. Intra-experimental global morphological organoid heterogeneity. Time-series images from one representative experiment were analyzed using the image analysis pipeline and subjected to t-SNE dimensionality reduction on the first 20 principal components. Data points were colored by individual organoids (left graph) and time frames of organoid development within the imaging window (right graph). While organoids clustered closely at earlier time points (up to 24 h), they strongly diverged at later time points, suggesting increasing inter-individual changes of their morphological characteristics over time.
January 28, 2026 at 2:00 PM
plosbiology.org
Infantile #amnesia limits our recall of early-life memories, but what is its cellular basis? @tjryan.bsky.social &co reveal that transient #microglial activity during postnatal development regulates infant #memory persistence & retrieval in mice @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/4a0SoGH
A cartoon showing a middle-aged mouse at an office desk, remembering (in a thought bubble) a childhood birthday, with his parent bringing him a cake with a single candle; cartoon glial cells are controlling a cable that links to his early memories. Infantile amnesia is the global loss of episodic and contextual memories formed in early life. Image credit: Birte Doludda
January 28, 2026 at 1:55 PM
Reposted by PLOS Biology
wkobayashi.bsky.social
NR5A2 overexpression improves SCNT efficiency and enhances ZGA by promoting H3K27ac deposition. Great work!

journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
Overexpression of the pioneer transcription factor Nr5a2 promotes the development of mouse somatic cell nuclear transfer embryos
Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT) is an approach that enables the generation of an embryo from a somatic cell, but its efficiency remains low due to epigenetic barriers. This study shows that pione...
journals.plos.org
January 27, 2026 at 10:54 AM
Reposted by PLOS Biology
physioktbroker.bsky.social
“analyzing all articles indexed in the PubMed database (>36.5 million articles published in >36,000 biomedical and life sciences journals), we show that the median amount of time spent under review is 7.4%–14.6% longer for female-authored articles “ 🧪 journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
Biomedical and life science articles by female researchers spend longer under review
Women are underrepresented in academia, especially in STEMM fields, at top institutions, and in senior positions. This study analyzes millions of biomedical and life science articles, revealing that f...
journals.plos.org
January 24, 2026 at 5:28 PM
Reposted by PLOS Biology
natforsdick.bsky.social
And here's a thought provoking study on other disparities in research, this one addressing different aspects of the gender gap. #WomenInSTEM journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
Biomedical and life science articles by female researchers spend longer under review
Women are underrepresented in academia, especially in STEMM fields, at top institutions, and in senior positions. This study analyzes millions of biomedical and life science articles, revealing that f...
journals.plos.org
January 28, 2026 at 2:05 AM
Reposted by PLOS Biology
lozanzi.bsky.social
#InterferonFriendsOrFoes? Another cool one @ellenfoxman.bsky.social &friends out @plosbiology.org about how excessive #IFNs delay repair by activating LATS & degrading YAP/TAZ in the Hippo 🦛 pathway! journals.plos.org/plosbiology/... 👇👇👇
January 27, 2026 at 8:33 PM
plosbiology.org
Infantile #amnesia limits our recall of early-life memories, but what is its cellular basis? @tjryan.bsky.social &co reveal that transient #microglial activity during postnatal development regulates infant #memory persistence & retrieval in mice @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/4a0SoGH
A cartoon showing a middle-aged mouse at an office desk, remembering (in a thought bubble) a childhood birthday, with his parent bringing him a cake with a single candle; cartoon glial cells are controlling a cable that links to his early memories. Infantile amnesia is the global loss of episodic and contextual memories formed in early life. Image credit: Birte Doludda
January 28, 2026 at 9:05 AM
plosbiology.org
#Interferons protect against #ViralInfection, but can hinder tissue repair - how? @ellenfoxman.bsky.social &co show that high IFN levels suppress #BronchialCell migration & proliferation during tissue repair via JAK-driven LATS1 activation, independent of STAT1 @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/4k1pyKA
Top: Type III interferon alters the nuclear localization of the transcriptional co-regulator YAP during wound healing of human bronchial epithelial cells. Micrographs show localization or YAP (red) relative to the cell nucleus (blue) in cells adjacent to a scratch in the monolayer (dark area, right of images). In untreated cultures, YAP is present in most nuclei (purple nuclei, left panel) whereas in the presence of Type III interferon, the percentage of cells with nuclear YAP is greatly reduced (blue nuclei, right panel). Image credit: Krupakar Subramaniam. Bottom: Model. Type III and Type I IFN receptor signaling activate LATS1 to curtail tissue repair during acute viral infection. Left-hand panel: During acute viral infection, high concentrations of Type III and/or Type I IFN receptor signaling trigger JAK-dependent, STAT1-independent phosphorylation of LATS1, leading to phosphorylation and degradation of YAP and reduced tissue repair activities mediated by YAP target genes. In rapidly proliferating cell types, active LATS1/2 also blocks repair in part via a p53-dependent mechanism. Right-hand panel: During resolution of viral infection, lower concentrations of Type III and/or Type I IFN may continue to activate STAT1-mediated antiviral defenses but no longer activate LATS1/2, allowing epithelial repair to resume.
January 28, 2026 at 9:00 AM
plosbiology.org
Infantile #amnesia limits our recall of early-life memories, but what is its cellular basis? @tjryan.bsky.social &co reveal that transient #microglial activity during postnatal development regulates infant #memory persistence & retrieval in mice @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/4a0SoGH
A cartoon showing a middle-aged mouse at an office desk, remembering (in a thought bubble) a childhood birthday, with his parent bringing him a cake with a single candle; cartoon glial cells are controlling a cable that links to his early memories. Infantile amnesia is the global loss of episodic and contextual memories formed in early life. Image credit: Birte Doludda
January 27, 2026 at 5:59 PM