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A global research effort involving 170 researchers across six continents shows that extreme, years-long drought conditions significantly reduce the long-term health of grasslands and shrublands - ecosystems that cover nearly half the planet's landmass and store over 30% of global carbon. Until now, due to the historic rarity of extreme droughts, researchers have struggled to estimate the actual consequences of these conditions in both the near and long-term.

When immune cells strike, precision is everything. New research reveals how natural killer and T cells orchestrate the release of toxic granules - microscopic packages that destroy virus-infected or cancerous cells. The study led by researchers from CeMM, St. Anna CCRI, MedUni Vienna, Med Uni Graz, the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the University of Bonn, published in Science Immunology, uncovers an unexpected link between lipid metabolism and the immune system's ability to deliver its lethal cargo, offering new insights into diseases caused by genetic defects.

Scientists at UCL have engineered a rare type of immune cell to kill slow-growing bowel cancer cells that are resistant to current therapies, a breakthrough that could lead to new treatments in the future. Bowel cancer is one of the deadliest cancers in the world, causing over 900,000 deaths every year.

Combination of fluorescence microscopy and mass spectrometry reveals metabolic differences in tumours Diagnosing cancer and selecting the appropriate therapy depend crucially on how well experts understand the processes in tumours at the microscopic level. Central to this is understanding how cells in tissues communicate and what chemical signals are involved.

A multidisciplinary research team involving the University of Valencia has identified eight coronavirus genomes in bats from different regions of Spain, three of which could represent new viral species. The findings have been published in the journal PLoS Pathogens .

Archaeology A research team led by the University of Copenhagen has uncovered a remarkable Early Bronze Age ceremonial gathering place at Murayghat in Jordan. The discovery may shed new light on how ancient societies responded to social and environmental upheaval. How did ancient cultures react to severe crises and the breakdown of the established social order? The 5,500-year-old bronze age site of Murayghat in Jordan, excavated by archaeologists from the University of Copenhagen, may hold an answer.

Extreme and prolonged droughts jeopardize the stability of ecosystems worldwide. An international study in Science shows that their productivity declines further with each year of drought. BFH-HAFL was the only Swiss institution involved, providing data and contributing important findings from a Central European grassland.

Two physicists from the University of Stuttgart have proven that Carnot's principle, a central law of thermodynamics, does not apply to objects of the size of atoms whose physical properties are linked (so-called correlated objects). This finding could, for example, advance the development of tiny, energy-efficient quantum motors.

A Simon Fraser University study has confirmed what female runners already know - women's running shoes do not meet the needs of female runners. Despite a huge growth in female sports over recent years, running shoes are still typically designed on molds of male feet. The designs are then made smaller and more effeminate in colour - an approach known as "shrink it and pink it" - for female runners.

Researchers from HU uncover genetic causes and modifiable risks in a study involving more than 56,000 participants. Visualisation of the so-called brain age gap (BAG) - i.e. the difference between a person's actual age (chronological age) and the biological age of the brain, which can be determined using MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scans.

Study by researchers in Bonn and Hamburg shows that lower doses of cortisone may be sufficient for aggressive kidney inflammation Will it be possible to treat severe kidney inflammation with fewer drugs in the future? A new study by the University Hospital Bonn (UKB), the University of Bonn, and the University of Hamburg gives cause for hope.

ANU engineers have achieved world-leading efficiency in perovskite solar cells, by redesigning the interface of the device. Researchers from The Australian National University (ANU) have achieved a major breakthrough in solar energy research, setting a new efficiency record for perovskite solar cells.

A research team from the Medical University of Vienna and the Medical University of Graz has discovered a previously unknown genetic cause of hereditary optic atrophy, a degenerative disease of the optic nerve associated with gradual loss of vision. The results, currently published in the journal Genetics in Medicine, open up new possibilities for the genetic diagnosis of this disease and provide important approaches for future research into the underlying disease mechanisms.

Researchers at the Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, and the University of Bern, in collaboration with researchers at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, USA, have developed and tested a novel gene therapy that successfully corrects a life-threatening genetic cardiac arrhythmia in an animal model. The procedure restores the normal function of the affected cardiac ion channel and opens up new perspectives for the future treatment of both rare and common cardiac arrhythmias.

A landmark international study led by the University of Zurich has shown that artificial intelligence can assess patient risk for the most common type of heart attack more accurately than existing methods. This could enable doctors to guide more personalized treatment decisions for patients. Doctors caring for patients with the most common form of heart attack - the so-called non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) - have so far relied on a standardized scoring system.

An international study conducted by the Experimental Hematology research group at the Institute of Oncology Research (IOR), in collaboration with the Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland (IOSI), led by Prof. Davide Rossi - Group Leader at IOR and Deputy Head of Hematology at IOSI - and recently published in Blood , has redefined the genetic understanding of classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) through the use of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA).

The surface of the lungs is covered with a fluid that increases their deformability. This fluid has the greatest effect when you take deep breaths from time to time, as researchers at ETH Zurich have discovered using sophisticated measurement techniques in the laboratory. More than half of all premature babies born before the 28th week of pregnancy develop respiratory distress syndrome shortly after birth.

New research shows water's dramatic electrical transformation when squeezed to just a few molecular layers thick. Researchers at The University of Manchester have made an unexpected discovery about one of the world's most familiar substances - water. When confined to spaces a few atoms thick, water transforms into something completely unfamiliar, exhibiting properties more commonly associated with advanced materials like ferroelectrics and superionic liquids.

Scientists have uncovered a link between COVID-19 control measures and a surge in serious infections in children following the pandemic. The findings , which come from a large European study led by researchers at Imperial, suggest that non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) including lockdowns, school closures and social distancing may have inadvertently delayed the development of young children's immunity to specific infectious diseases, leaving them more vulnerable to severe illness.

Researchers at the Medical University of Vienna have taken a closer look at a previously largely unknown component of the immune system: the protein molecule TRAT1 (T Cell Receptor Associated Transmembrane Adaptor 1) plays a central role in how so-called T helper cells (a specialised subgroup of immune cells) distinguish between attack and self-control - an important mechanism for restraining inflammation and preventing autoimmune diseases.