eLife is pleased to present a Special Issue to highlight recent advances in the mechanistic understanding of microbiome function.

A series of articles offering philosophical perspectives on the life sciences.

Modelling analysis reveals the burden of Japanese Encephalitis is greater than previously thought, and although vaccination has reduced burden, there are remaining places with a great need for vaccination.

A newly identified adipose lineage cell population, MALP, regulates marrow vasculature and osteogenesis in bone.

Novel insights into LIS1-dependent regulation of cell membrane contractility and cleavage axis specification identify a key molecular network regulating mitoses of neural progenitors and somatic cells during development.

The occupation of a sub-pocket near the Na⁺-binding site in D₂R by the Na⁺-insensitive antagonists is the structural basis for their greater inverse agonism than that of the Na⁺-sensitive ligands.

The coexistence of ancestral and innovative functions is possible and fosters evolutionary innovation in events involving the acquisition of whole protein domains.

Demonstrating the tricuspid valve maladapts is critical, and understanding its regurgitation may aid in developing better treatment strategies.

Microbiomediversity favors further diversity in a positive feedback that is strongest in lower-diversity biomes but which plateaus as niches are increasingly filled in higher-diversity biomes.