eLife Science Digests

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

Latest

  1. A genetic time capsule

    Whole-genome sequencing of the Faroese population reveals a unique genetic history shaped by Viking and Celtic ancestry, founder effects, isolation, and adaptation, providing new insight into disease risk and human evolution in the North Atlantic.
  2. Collagen under investigation

    Custom hardware and specialised imaging methodology enable direct imaging of collagen through MRI, which could enhance the study and diagnosis of diseases affecting connective tissues.
  3. Rolling with the seasons

    Autumn timing in temperate deciduous trees is controlled by both developmental stage and seasonal temperature cues, with late-summer cooling overriding earlier developmental differences.
  4. Bouncing back from extinction

    Terrestrial ecosystems in equatorial regions rebounded rapidly after the end-Permian mass extinction, with plants and animals adapting to extreme heat by burrowing and occupying riverine habitats within just two million years.
  5. Tracing addiction

    Using modified rabies virus tracing, researchers show that even a single exposure to addictive drugs can induce long-lasting, cell-type-specific changes in inputs to dopamine neurons.
  6. Breath of life

    The protein adrenomedullin restores the migration of interneurons in human brain organoids exposed to hypoxia.
  7. Malaria under heat

    Fever-level temperatures (39 °C) increase the stickiness of red blood cells infected with malaria-causing parasites through elevated surface PfEMP1, potentially worsening disease by promoting blood-vessel blockage.
  8. Stuck in time, free in mind

    Humans flexibly represent time by combining stable, hippocampal event sequences with perspective-dependent, parietal representations that adapt to current task demands.