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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
@pnas.org
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Explore groundbreaking news and research from PNAS, one of the world's most-cited scientific journals. Discover its sibling journal, @pnasnexus.org, both official research journals of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. Visit www.pnas.org for more info.
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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences @pnas.org · 5d
In this issue: Vulnerability of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, silver-laden viruses as powerful bacteria killers, and climate and landscape dynamics in Pleistocene eastern Africa. In PNAS: https://ow.ly/wHeq50XTv2n
Pictured is a 13-lined ground squirrel (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus) during hibernation Image credit: Robert Streiffer (University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI).
pnas.org
Inoculating mice with gut bacteria from humans and squirrel monkeys upregulated genes associated with energy production, suggesting that the microbiome may have played a supporting role in the evolution of energy-intensive brains. In PNAS: https://ow.ly/HRE550XWiXg
A squirrel monkey. Stock photo.
January 14, 2026 at 12:00 AM
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One of the most-viewed PNAS articles in the last week is “The variability of evolvability: Properties of dynamic fitness landscapes determine how phenotypic variability evolves.” Explore now: https://ow.ly/XouU50XWiiV

For more trending articles, visit https://ow.ly/AiXL50XWi81.
Schematic representation of fitness landscapes. (A) Orange lines show maximum (dashed) and average (dotted) fitness of a population on a narrower peak (yellow circles), blue lines show the same for a wider peak (blue circles). (B) Trajectory of a population in a periodically changing environment with respect to a given fitness landscape (solid arrow) and with respect to an unseen other fitness landscape (dashed arrow). (C) Hypothetical “trapping” of the population in variable environments.
January 13, 2026 at 10:00 PM
Reposted by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
jackl0vegr0ve.bsky.social
Excited to have the chance to discuss my PhD research with PNAs for this article on the origin of dinosaurs
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
PNAS
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans...
www.pnas.org
January 8, 2026 at 10:03 AM
pnas.org
A sex-determining gene region in ants, bees, and wasps has maintained its function for over 150 million years through its chromosomal position rather than its DNA sequence, as evidenced by the lack of sequence homology among lineages. In PNAS: https://ow.ly/n9eU50XWipU
A member of the Hymenoptera order, Colletes cunicularius, has an evolutionarily conserved sex-determination mechanism. CREDIT: NJ Vereecken
January 13, 2026 at 8:01 PM
Reposted by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
achterbrain.bsky.social
Enjoyed @giacomoi.bsky.social commentary in PNAS on how #NeuroAI and Neuromorphic Engineering should come together to allow brain circuit motifs to positively influence the design of computing systems:

Biological fidelity: The engine driving the neuromorphic renaissance
www.pnas.org/doi/full/10....
PNAS
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans...
www.pnas.org
December 18, 2025 at 3:22 PM
pnas.org
Americans pay dramatically higher drug prices than patients in Canada, France, Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom. Aligning US drug prices with those nations would save $184 billion annually, reducing national drug spending by 51%. In PNAS: https://ow.ly/qP9b50XWit1
High-denomination US bills in a prescription drug bottle. Stock image.
January 13, 2026 at 7:01 PM
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Is China poised to become a global scientific leader? In the latest Science Sessions, James Evans of the University of Chicago explains how China’s growing role in international collaborations is reshaping scientific leadership worldwide. Listen now: https://ow.ly/7ckU50XWhF4
Close-up illustration of the Chinese and US flags side by side. Credit: iStock/WD Stuart
January 13, 2026 at 6:02 PM
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A study in mice suggests that the ideal diet for a pregnant mother is not the same as the ideal diet for offspring growth. High protein levels are good for the fetus, but impair maternal glucose tolerance. In PNAS: https://ow.ly/I0ei50XVUo2
A mother mouse with babies. Stock photo.
January 13, 2026 at 2:00 AM
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Discover how our closest primate cousins think! 🧠✨ A Smithsonian Magazine article highlights breakthroughs in human origins — including a PNAS study showing bonobos tailor communication based on what others know. 🤯: https://ow.ly/CL8n50XVx6J

In PNAS: https://ow.ly/nHyn50XVwLi
Paranthropus boisei composite hand Image credit: Carrie Mongle
January 12, 2026 at 10:00 PM
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From air pollution’s impact on children’s vision to AI and learning, Antarctic sea ice loss, and antibiotic pollution in rivers, PNAS Nexus Selected Highlights 2025 showcase the research that resonated beyond the lab and into public conversation. Read the collection: https://ow.ly/S48U50XVwF8
PNAS Nexus – 2025 Selected Highlights. Read now!
January 12, 2026 at 8:01 PM
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Pyrophilous fungi are fungal species that thrive after wildfire. A genetic analysis of this group uncovered an ecologically important tradeoff between fast growth and the ability to break down post-fire aromatic carbon compounds. In PNAS: https://ow.ly/1A2P50XVxZc
Morels were among the species analyzed. This delicious group is well known for thriving in burnt areas. Stock photo.
January 12, 2026 at 7:00 PM
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Read highlights in this week’s issue of PNAS: We explore the climate and landscape dynamics in Pleistocene eastern Africa, analyze how Hawaiian bobtail squids manage their microbiota, and examine how insect pathogens detoxify host antimicrobial compounds. Explore now: https://ow.ly/SvWu50XVwl9
Pictured is a 13-lined ground squirrel (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus) during hibernation Image credit: Robert Streiffer (University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI).
January 12, 2026 at 6:01 PM
Reposted by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
joshmccrain.bsky.social
new paper by Sean Westwood:

With current technology, it is impossible to tell whether survey respondents are real or bots. Among other things, makes it easy for bad actors to manipulate outcomes. No good news here for the future of online-based survey research
November 18, 2025 at 7:16 PM
pnas.org
PNAS & PNAS Nexus are committed to advancing all 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. Together, the PNAS journals publish peer-reviewed science that informs policy advances sustainability, and addresses urgent global challenges. 🌍

Learn more: https://ow.ly/ZaLB50XUCBS
Learn more about PNAS & PNAS Nexus’ commitment to all 17 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
January 10, 2026 at 8:00 PM
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Opinion piece: As we let #AI speak for us—as #researchers, #clinicians, even as people—we risk a new blind spot: #MachinalBypass. Why outsourcing presence matters more than we think. In PNAS Front Matter: https://ow.ly/T8U650XU6Tv

#MentalHealth #Psychology #Psychiatry #LLM #ChatGPT
Illustration of a clinical therapy setting in which a clinician sits at a desk holding playing cards while a computer screen displays a LLM prompt reading, ‘How does that make you feel?’ A patient lies on a couch in the background, conveying a conceptual commentary on the use of artificial intelligence in therapy. Image credit: Dave Cutler (artist).
January 10, 2026 at 6:30 PM
pnas.org
High levels of the soluble form of the interleukin-33 receptor ST2 suppress allergic responses to food in mice, clarifying the biomarker's role in inflammation and disease. In PNAS: https://ow.ly/npsN50XUcIC
Chloroacetate esterase staining of jejunal sections (Scale bars, 500 mm) from wild type or mice engineered to lack the interleukin-33 receptor ST2 on days 0 or 42. Data are representative of three independent experiments.
January 10, 2026 at 2:00 AM
pnas.org
PNAS honors the life of David John “Davo” Mangelsdorf—whose groundbreaking discoveries reshaped nuclear receptor and metabolic biology. Remembered not only for his science, but for his generosity and mentorship. Read more: https://ow.ly/1c8050XUcS8
PNAS – Honoring the life of David John “Davo” Mangelsdorf. A life of science, friendship, and joy.
January 10, 2026 at 12:00 AM
pnas.org
Coastal communities in southern Alaska rely on dozens of wild food species across land and sea. A new study shows that access to diverse wild foods stabilizes harvests over time and makes food systems more resilient to species declines. In PNAS: https://ow.ly/QnwY50XUcyb
Schematic of wild food systems in southern coastal Alaska. Artwork by Cecil Howell.
January 9, 2026 at 11:00 PM
pnas.org
Discover the research that captured public attention in 2025. From PFAS in drinking water to ancient oceans on Mars, PNAS Selected Highlights showcase 12 studies that shaped conversations beyond the lab. Read here: https://ow.ly/azmj50XU6mi
PNAS – 2025 Selected Highlights.
January 9, 2026 at 10:00 PM
pnas.org
An anthropologist proposes the concept of “cultural consonance,” the degree to which individuals, in their own behavior, approximate local cultural prototypes for behavior. One example is regularly eating culturally important foods. In PNAS: https://ow.ly/Kx1v50XUc2I
A Brazilian family eats feijoada, a traditional Brazilian dish. Stock photo.
January 9, 2026 at 8:01 PM
pnas.org
Can we measure how countless #EnvironmentalExposures shape our health? After 20 years, #exposomics is poised to untangle how #pesticides, #pollution, #wildfires, and more interact to drive #disease. A PNAS News Feature: https://ow.ly/IbwG50XU6Jz

#biobank #genomics #PublicHealth
Two individuals in protective gear spraying pesticides across a field of crops. Image credit: Shutterstock/NataliAlba.
January 9, 2026 at 6:02 PM
pnas.org
High levels of the soluble form of the interleukin-33 receptor ST2 suppress allergic responses to food in mice, clarifying the biomarker's role in inflammation and disease. In PNAS: https://ow.ly/aaIy50XTxNg
Chloroacetate esterase staining of jejunal sections (Scale bars, 500 mm) from wild type or mice engineered to lack the interleukin-33 receptor ST2 on days 0 or 42. Data are representative of three independent experiments.
January 9, 2026 at 2:00 AM
pnas.org
A trending PNAS article in the last week is “Competition between a transmembrane helix on Scap and a membrane cholesterol regulates Scap–Insig interaction and SREBP activation.” Explore now: https://ow.ly/vzv650XTvhU

For more trending articles, visit https://ow.ly/IeiN50XTvfF.
Identification of a new class of Scap mutations that disrupt its interaction with Insig but still prevent transport to Golgi.
January 9, 2026 at 12:00 AM
pnas.org
Juvenile Caribbean spiny lobsters are social and are attracted by the scent of larger conspecifics to dens also occupied by predatory red grouper, which can’t eat larger lobsters. The result is a rare natural ecological trap for the juveniles. In PNAS: https://ow.ly/UuAs50XTxvP
Photo of a typical solution hole ecological trap large enough to serve as a den for both groupers and lobsters; a diver is at the top right. CREDIT: Robert Ellis
January 8, 2026 at 11:00 PM
pnas.org
In this issue: Vulnerability of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, silver-laden viruses as powerful bacteria killers, and climate and landscape dynamics in Pleistocene eastern Africa. In PNAS: https://ow.ly/wHeq50XTv2n
Pictured is a 13-lined ground squirrel (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus) during hibernation Image credit: Robert Streiffer (University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI).
January 8, 2026 at 10:00 PM