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Novel Octameric Resistosome and Immune Mechanism in Wheat

After activation, these NLRs form multi-protein complexes—called resistosomes—that carry out the immune response. Studies have shown that certain resistosomes are pentameric (e.g., ZAR1 and Sr35), whereas others are hexameric (e.g., NRC2 and NRC4). These complexes initiate immune responses by triggering calcium (Ca2+) influx into the cytoplasm. However, the G10 type of CC-NLR (CCG10-NLR) immune receptors constitutes a unique clade among CC-NLRs and its activation mechanism has remained poorly understood.

Now, in a study published in Cell, a research team has revealed a novel octameric resistosome formed by an activated wheat CCG10-NLR immune receptor, which induces Ca2+ influx and immune responses through a unique channel architecture.

The researchers identified the Wheat Autoimmunity 3 (WAI3) gene, which encodes a CCG10-NLR protein. Subsequent analysis revealed that a gain-of-function (GOF) single amino acid mutation in the leucine-rich repeat (LRR) domain leads to autoactivation, providing an opportunity to study the activation mechanism of CCG10-NLR.

After expressing the WAI3 proteins in Nicotiana benthamiana, the researchers used cryo-electron microscopy to resolve the octameric structure of the activated WAI3 resistosome—marking the first time an octameric resistosome has been identified in plants.

The CCG10-NLR WAI3 resistosome differs from known resistosomes both in the number of monomers and in its conformation, representing a novel assembly mechanism for plant NLR resistosomes.

Using Nicotiana benthamiana and animal cell expression systems, the researchers also demonstrated that the WAI3 resistosome induces Ca2+ influx in plants but is not effective in animal cells. ScienceMission sciencenewshighlights.

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Ultrastructural preservation of a whole large mammal brain with a protocol compatible with human physician-assisted death

Ultrastructural Preservation of a Whole Large Mammal Brain (bioRxiv, 2026) ⚠️ Preprint – not yet peer-reviewed.

A 2026 preprint builds on over a decade of brain preservation research, demonstrating that whole mammalian brains (pigs) can be preserved with remarkable structural fidelity under near–real-world, end-of-life conditions.

The study refines aldehyde-stabilized cryopreservation (ASC)—a technique previously recognized by the Brain Preservation Foundation. This method combines chemical fixation (aldehydes), cryoprotectants, and controlled cooling to prevent ice damage and preserve neural structure at the nanoscale. — What the study shows.

Whole pig brains preserved with intact cellular and synaptic architecture.

Preservation remains viable even with delayed postmortem intervals (~10 minutes)

Tissue remains perfusable and structurally stable after fixation.

Protocol moves toward clinically realistic implementation, not just lab conditions.

Continue reading “Ultrastructural preservation of a whole large mammal brain with a protocol compatible with human physician-assisted death” | >

The Jellies That Evolved a Different Way To Keep Time

Developmental biologist Tsuyoshi Momose cultures a newly discovered species of jellyfish in a tank of circulating water. Scientists want to understand how these unusual jellies keep time.

The passage of the sun across the sky — dawn, day, dusk, night — drives the clock of life. Some species wake with the sun and sleep with the moon. Others do the opposite, and a few keep odd hours. These naturally driven, 24-hour biological cycles are known as circadian rhythms, and they do more than cue bedtime: They regulate hormones, metabolism, DNA repair, and more. When life falls out of sync, there can be dire consequences for health, reproduction, and survival.

Lacking watches, many species keep time using an internal system — a set of interacting genes and their protein products that effectively keeps track of a 24-hour period — that is calibrated by sunlight. This kind of circadian clock is widespread, found even in single-celled algae, which suggests that biological timekeeping evolved billions of years ago. Across animals, most species have the same genetic system, using genes known as CLOCK, BMAL1, and CRY, or recognizable homologues. This form of biological clock mechanism appears even in ancient lineages, including sponges and some jellyfish.

But is this the only way to do it? In a pea-size jelly off the coast of Japan, biologists are examining a different kind of timekeeping.

NVIDIA CEO Doesn’t Believe in “Succession Plans,” Says He Operates in a Way That Doesn’t Make His Company a One-Man Show

On the Lex Fridman podcast, NVIDIA’s CEO was asked about his mortality and whether he fears dying in his current state. Jensen offered a rather interesting response, saying that his company is currently in the midst of a technological revolution and that, if he died in the meantime, it might not be the best-case scenario for him.

“The most important thing you should do today, if you care about the future of your company, post you, is to pass on knowledge, information, insight, skills, experience as often and continuously as you can. Which is the reason why I continuously reason about everything in front of my team.”

NVIDIA has become the largest business entity and the driving force in the AI world, yet CEO Jensen Huang has no succession plans in sight.

The many pathways driving liver inflammation in MASH

Online now: Intra-and extrahepatic inflammation in MASH is driven by various hits such as lipotoxicity, the gut microbiome, and proinflammatory diets. Inflammation contributes to hepatic and systemic complications, including cardiovascular diseases. Beneficial drugs in MASH might target metabolic and inflammatory pathways.

Inflammation is a key driver of this disease, and effective future therapies might have to target metabolic and inflammatory pathways.

Assessment of inflammation, i.e., MASH in humans, is still challenging as it might appear intermittently during the clinical course and could be missed by liver biopsy. Future non-invasive strategies assessing the liver’s inflammatory burden are eagerly awaited.

Recent Scientific findings that support the Phantom Primal Eye as a comprehensive Biological Solution to the Mind-Body Problem

The Primal Eye (the pineal/ parietal eyes predates the paired lateral eyes, so “third eye” is technically a misnomer) theory breaks this deadlock by moving the goalposts from philosophy to evolutionary physiology. It suggests that consciousness is

Physicists just turned glass into a powerful quantum security device

Scientists have turned simple glass into a powerful quantum communication device that could safeguard data against future quantum attacks. The chip combines stability, speed, and versatility—handling both ultra-secure encryption and record-breaking random number generation in one compact system.

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