eLife Science Digests

Cutting jargon and putting research in context, digests showcase some of the latest articles published in eLife.

Latest

  1. Closing the ring

    Pigments called carotenoids regulate photosynthesis in a bacterium by altering the architecture of a ring structure in the machinery that harvests energy from the sun.
  2. An unexpected role for neutrophils

    Immune cells generally thought to fight off infections can also help dispose of dead cells, potentially protecting the body from autoimmune disorders.
  3. Spectral signatures

    Information contained in the fMRI signals recorded when the brain is at rest helps to better interpret how changes in blood flow correlate with neural activity across various regions.
  4. Seeing through the smokescreen

    Data from identical twins point to cigarette smoke causing DNA modifications that control the activity of certain genes.
  5. Diving into the evolution of marine reptiles

    A newly discovered fossil from the Triassic period sheds light on how marine reptiles emerged following a major extinction event.
  6. The rise of insect cyborgs

    Determining the relationship between electrical stimulations and the resulting torque in three leg muscles of stick insects facilitates the development of biohybrid robotics.
  7. How the brain responds to influenza

    Cells in the brain undergo molecular changes during influenza infection that can persist for longer than the virus
  8. Battling typhoid drug-resistance

    Genomic data on the global distribution of drug-resistant strains of the bacteria that cause typhoid fever may help public health officials to deploy vaccines and antimicrobials more effectively.