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NASA Rover Uncovers Rare Organic Molecules on Mars

“We think we’re looking at organic matter that’s been preserved on Mars for 3.5 billion years,” said Dr. Amy Williams. [ https://www.labroots.com/trending/space/30462/nasa-rover-unc…les-mars-2](https://www.labroots.com/trending/space/30462/nasa-rover-unc…les-mars-2)

Does Mars contain the building blocks for life as we know it? This is what a recent study published in Nature Communications hopes to address as a team of researchers investigated whether the surface of Mars could preserve evidence for life as we know it using experiments from one of its rovers. This study has the potential to help scientists better understand how and where to search for past evidence of life as we know it and comes as NASA is working to return samples from the surface of Mars.

For the study, the researchers examined data obtained from NASA’s Curiosity rover, which has been exploring Gale Crater on Mars since 2012. Recently, it used its cache of scientific instruments to identify more than 20 organic molecules from 3.5-billion-year-old Martian clays. These included a first-time identification of DNA precursors and specific chemicals that are delivered to planets via meteorites.

UV Camera Captures Glowing Coronae on Leaves During Storms

“It’s nearly invisible to the naked eye but our instruments give rise to a vision of swaths of scintillating corona glowing as thunderstorms pass overhead,” said Patrick McFarland. [ https://www.labroots.com/trending/earth-and-the-environment/…s-storms-2](https://www.labroots.com/trending/earth-and-the-environment/…s-storms-2)

Can storms cause electrical discharges on trees? This is something that has eluded scientists for decades, but a recent study published in Geophysical Research Letters might finally have an answer as a team of researchers collected first-time images of trees emanating ultraviolet (UV) light during a thunderstorm. This study has the potential to help scientists better understand how weather could affect plants worldwide.

For the study, the researchers traveled to Florida, which is known for its frequent and powerful thunderstorms, with the goal of imaging electric pulses that appear at the tips of trees during such storms. The primary motivation behind the study was to provide direct evidence of an atmospheric phenomenon that had been hypothesized since the 1930s but never captured in nature. During this time, scientists suspected that trees emit light during thunderstorms due to the electrical discharges but never had direct evidence.

Using a customized camera capable of capturing only corona light, lightning, and fire, this team of researchers successfully captured first-time evidence of trees emitting UV light during a Florida thunderstorm. These findings are crucial in helping researchers better understand the link between atmospheric electricity and forest ecology.

Western U.S. water supply at risk as snow turns to rain

“This study provides a crucial step in improving projections of water resource responses to climate change and underscores the value of integrating water transit time dynamics into future hydrologic assessments,” said Zachariah Butler. [ https://www.labroots.com/trending/earth-and-the-environment/…now-rain-2](https://www.labroots.com/trending/earth-and-the-environment/…now-rain-2)

How can climate change impact how fast snow turns into water? This is what a recent study published in Scientific Reports hopes to address as a team of scientists investigated snow drought conditions and how this could lead to poor water quality. This study has the potential to help scientists, legislators, and the public better understand the negative impacts of climate change on water management systems and how to mitigate them.

For the study, the researchers analyzed a combination of data from historical (2006−2013) and future (2086−2093) estimates from five regions in the U.S. Pacific Northwest for rain-snow transition times. The motivation behind the study comes from a knowledge gap regarding how climate change impacts the speed of water as it transitions from snow to rain, as opposed to simply the amount of water.

In the end, the researchers found that water transit times were estimated to be an average of 18 percent higher in the late 21st century if present climate change continues. These findings indicate that higher water transit times when snow becomes rainwater could result in greater levels of water contaminants due to shallower water getting into local water supplies.

Autoinhibitory control of MLKL governs pseudokinase domain phosphorylation and oligomerization during necroptosis

The current model of necroptosis assumes that MLKL’s N-terminal cytotoxic domain is unleashed from autoinhibition concurrent with phosphorylation by RIPK3. Here, Pan and Abbott show that inhibition of MLKL’s N terminus abolishes phosphorylation by RIPK3 whereas removal or relieving autoinhibition between the N-terminal and intermediate domains promotes its phosphorylation.

Supporting the concept that GLP1 agonist drugs lower BloodPressure independent from their weight loss effects

Daniel J. Drucker & team identify the vascular smooth muscle GLP-1 receptor as a key cellular target for the actions of GLP-1 medicines to lower blood pressure.

The figure: Renal GLP1R/Glp1r is expressed in human and murine vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and Glp1rVSM-/- mice have reduced Glp1r transcripts in renal tissues.

1Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

2Section of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Address correspondence to: Daniel J. Drucker, Mt. Sinai Hospital, 600 University Ave. Mailbox 39, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5G1X5. Phone: 416.361.2661; Email: [email protected].

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Diabetes-induced TREM2–endothelial cell signaling impairs ischemic vascular repair

Scientists build an atlas of the blood vessel in diabetes and decipher crosstalk between “foamy” phagocytes and endothelial cells, showing that TREM2 drives vessel dysfunction in peripheral artery disease.

Read more in Science TranslationalMedicine.

Diabetes-driven TREM2-endothelial cross-talk impairs vascular repair in peripheral arterial disease.

Tau Blood Test Detects Alzheimer’s Disease Risk Years Before Brain Changes

New research suggests that plasma phosphorylated tau 217 (pTau217) can detect Alzheimer’s disease pathology years before it appears on traditional PET scans. In longitudinal studies, elevated pTau217 levels accurately predicted future amyloid accumulation and cognitive decline in currently asymptomatic, healthy older adults. While not yet recommended for routine clinical screening, this biomarker offers a potential “clock” for estimating the onset of symptoms within a three to four year margin.

Participants who were amyloid-beta-negative and had very low pTau217 (below ~2.6% in this cohort) rarely became amyloid-beta-positive, suggesting this subgroup may be low risk and might not require amyloid-beta PET until pTau217 rises, the researchers said.

Higher baseline plasma %pTau217 also predicted tau accumulation in the brain — even when amyloid levels were still low, suggesting it captures very early disease processes.

In terms of cognition, across the full cohort, higher plasma pTau217 was associated with faster decline on a composite cognitive score. However, this relationship was largely driven by individuals who already had elevated amyloid; among amyloid-negative participants, pTau217 did not significantly predict cognitive decline over the follow-up period.

Multicentre gene therapy for OTOF-related deafness followed up to 2.5 years

A new international study co-led by investigators from Mass General Brigham and the Eye & ENT Hospital of Fudan University shows that a gene therapy for a rare form of genetic deafness successfully restored hearing in most participants, with results lasting up to 2.5 years. The results, the largest clinical trial of gene therapy for inherited hearing loss to date and the longest follow-up reported so far, are published in Nature. According to the authors, these latest findings reinforce earlier trials that show gene therapy can be used to treat some forms of inherited deafness, helping guide future research and care.

“It’s remarkable to see patients go from complete deafness to being able to hear,” said the study’s corresponding author, Zheng-Yi Chen, DPhil, the Ines and Fredrick Yeatts Chair in Otolaryngology and an associate scientist at Mass Eye and Ear, a member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system. “For many patients, that also means the ability to develop and use speech.”

Genetic mutations account for up to 60% of hearing loss present at birth. In this study, researchers used a gene therapy they developed to treat autosomal recessive deafness 9 (DFNB9), caused by mutations in the OTOF gene. The OTOF gene provides the body with instructions to make a protein called otoferlin, which is essential for hearing function. Without it, hair cells in the inner ear cannot pass sound signals to the brain, causing severe-to-complete deafness at birth. OTOF mutations account for about 2 to 8 in every 100 cases.

Gene therapies are designed to add a working version of mutated genes that lead to disease. Since a single faulty gene causes DFNB9, it is well-suited for gene therapy research. The treatment is a single injection into the inner ear that uses a harmless virus (AAV) to deliver a working copy of the OTOF gene to the cells needed for hearing.

This latest trial enrolled 42 participants across eight sites in China, ranging in age from infants to adults (0.8 to 32.3 years). Each participant received one of three doses of a single gene therapy treatment: 36 in one ear and six in both ears. The research team then followed participants for up to 2.5 years, to see if treatment remained safe, affected their hearing and speech recognition. The researchers also sought to better understand why some participants may respond better than others.

“These multicenter trial results validate the effectiveness of our OTOF gene therapy,” said Yilai Shu, MD, PhD, a professor from Eye & ENT Hospital of Fudan University, who led the study. “The procedure can be broadly implemented in hospital settings, ensuring consistent delivery for a larger patient population.”

Abstract: Multicentre gene therapy for OTOF-related deafness followed up to 2.5 years https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10393-y.

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