Biodegradable plastics are increasingly being viewed as a potential solution to plastic pollution in the environment, as they are expected to shorten the residence time of these materials in natural systems and ultimately allow microorganisms to convert them into carbon dioxide and biomass. （感謝 Foster MJ et al. (2026) 提供） Among the many biodegradable plastics currently in use, aromatic aliphatic copolyesters combine two distinct chemical features within the same material. The

As the most abundant and functionally diverse group of animals on Earth, insects form a fundamental part of ecosystem functioning, and the way they distribute their activity across the 24-hour cycle is central to that role. As early as the 19th century, naturalists had already noticed the differences between organisms active during the day and those active at night, and they also recognized the striking rise in biodiversity and vitality when moving from temperate regions towa

When animals are invaded by pathogens, the immune system initiates a series of coordinated responses involving behavioral, physiological, immunological, and metabolic adjustments, collectively known as the acute phase response (APR). While this response helps combat infection, it also incurs substantial energetic costs, increasing metabolic demands by approximately 5–15%. For free-living animals with unpredictable food resources, such energy expenditure can represent a signif

As octopuses navigate their surroundings, they extend their arms into crevices, burrows, and coral gaps, exploring environments where visibility is limited. Distributed across the suckers on their arms are dozens of chemotactile receptors (CRs), which allow them to "taste by touch." By contacting the surfaces of prey or other objects, octopuses probe the microbial signals present and use this information to guide subsequent behavioral decisions. Study organism: the California

As our exploration of the microbial world continues to deepen, unexpected discoveries keep adding new layers to biology. Hidden within the microbial communities of our bodies is a class of RNA molecules that belong neither to viruses nor quite to viroids, yet are still capable of replicating through their hosts. These RNA genetic elements, known as obelisks , have likely been present in transcriptome studies for years, but because they show no recognizable sequence homology t

Turtles have inhabited the Earth for over 100 million years. Their most distinctive feature, the shell, stands as a testament to the long evolutionary history of this lineage. However, in the age of humans, this very shell—along with other evolutionary advantages accumulated over millions of years—has paradoxically become a disadvantage, intensifying the risk of extinction faced by turtles today. Wildlife is an essential component of ecosystems, yet human activities such as o

3D necroprinting is a biohybrid manufacturing approach that repurposes biological structures from deceased organisms as functional components in 3D printing. Rather than merely drawing inspiration from biological forms, this strategy directly integrates existing biological materials into engineered systems. A striking example is the use of the female mosquito proboscis. The dispense tip is a critical component in applications ranging from biomedical experiments and drug deliv

From a biological perspective, humans are not singular organisms but complex assemblies composed of our own cells and vast communities of microorganisms, forged through long-term coevolution. The earliest life on Earth was bacterial, emerging around 3.8 billion years ago, while eukaryotes appeared later following the rise of atmospheric oxygen. As animals evolved, they formed intimate associations with bacteria, archaea, fungi, and other microbes. The collective genetic conte

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is often understood by the general public as a psychological illness centered on low mood. From the perspective of modern biomedicine, however, it is actually a complex disorder involving multiple layers of physiological dysfunction. Research in neuroscience, immunology, and microbiology has gradually revealed that depression does not arise solely from psychological stress or adverse life circumstances. Instead, it is closely related to interac

Buzz! Buzz! Everyone busy at work! As spring arrives and flowers bloom across the landscape, the air fills with the movement of hardworking bees. Bees are perhaps one of the most familiar insects associated with spring; almost everyone recognizes these industrious little creatures. Yet how much do we truly understand about them? Where did bees originate, and how did humans eventually domesticate them? Let us take a closer look at the story behind these remarkable insects. Eas