Cell Press

When an asteroid as big as Mount Everest struck Earth 66 million years ago, it wiped out all non-avian dinosaurs and roughly a third of life on the planet. This is how the plants survived. 🌱🌿 In new research from @cell_journal , scientists analyzed the genomes of 470 flowering plants and compared the data with 44 plant fossils to see which blocks of genes persisted in plants over time. They found that these consistent genes tended to originate during major periods of environmental upheaval—such as the Cretaceous–Paleogene asteroid mass extinction that killed off the dinosaurs—as a result of whole-genome duplications, natural phenomena that can give plants an additional set of chromosomes. These duplication events likely helped many plants survive several of the most extreme environmental shake-ups in Earth’s history and could help today's plants tolerate climate change. “Whole-genome duplication is often seen as an evolutionary dead end in stable environments,” says author Yves Van de Peer of @ugent . “But in harsh situations, it can provide unexpected advantages.” To learn more, check out our link in bio 👉 @cellpress Cell, Chen et al., “The rise of polyploids during environmental upheaval” #plants #KPgExtinction #GenomeDuplication #research

A hemp-based alternative to plastic packaging 🌿♻️ In a new study from #ChemCircularity, researchers made a non-toxic plastic that can stretch up to 17x its size out of hemp—a non-psychoactive type of cannabis. This hemp-based plastic is suitable for producing transparent plastic films, coatings, and other common materials currently made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which is widely used in single-use water bottles, food packaging, and electronics. These products require the ability to easily melt, deform, and be shaped—which the team has achieved in a hemp-based polycarbonate for the first time. “Our work has established CBD-based colycarbonates as sustainable replacements for widely used thermoplastics such as PET,” says author Mukerrem Cakmak of @lifeatpurdue . To learn more, check out our link in bio 👉 @cellpress Chem Circularity, Cakmak et al, “High molecular weight hemp-derived poly(cannabidiol carbonate) thermoplastic with PET-like heat resistance, strength, and processability” #hemp #cbd #plastic #research

The human sense of smell evolved with diets and lifestyle 👃 In new research from #CellReports, scientists found that the human sense of smell has evolved over thousands of years in response to how people lived and what they ate. Curious about how human olfactory receptor genes have evolved alongside the rise of agriculture, the researchers studied the genes of 50 people from the Orang Asli—Indigenous peoples of the Malay Peninsula in Malaysia with diverse traditional lifestyles, including hunter-gatherers, rotational farming, and traditional agricultural—and compared them to genomic data from people around the world. They found that the hunter-gatherer group carried more ancestral versions of certain olfactory receptor genes and genes associated with detecting earthy, fruity, and herbal smells. The authors suggest these genes are likely a result of strong evolutionary pressure because smell plays a crucial role in foraging and hunting. “Our study showed that the human sense of smell has been shaped by the way people live,” says author Lian Deng of @fudanuni_official . “By looking at smell genes, we can begin to see how culture, environment, and biology evolved together.” To learn more, check out our link in bio 👉 @cellpress Cell Reports, Ma et al., “Gene-culture coevolution shapes olfactory receptor gene diversity in Orang Asli populations" #smell #HumanEvolution #foraging #hunting #research

Meet Bruce, the jousting kea 🦜 To learn more about Bruce, check out his profile in @currentbiology our link in bio 👉 @cellpress Current Biology, Grabham et al. “A disabled kea parrot is the alpha male of his circus” #kea #parrot #alpha #jousting #research

Environmental factors at birth impact an infant’s microbiome and neurodevelopment 👶🧫🧠 The gut microbiome and epigenetics—molecular switches triggered by environmental changes that turn genes on or off—are intertwined, and both contribute to the way an infant's brain develops, finds new research from #CellPressBlue. The researchers studied DNA methylation patterns—a type of epigenetic change—from the umbilical cord blood of 571 infants. They also collected gut microbiome data from 969 infants at 2, 6, and 12 months of age, as well as from their parents during the third trimester of pregnancy. When the children reached 36 months, the team used a behavioral questionnaire to assess their neurodevelopment and investigate links between the microbiome, epigenome, and early signs of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). They found that signs of ASD and ADHD in 3-year-olds were associated with specific epigenetic patterns and the presence of certain gut microbes. However, other microbial species seemed to mitigate these effects: infants with epigenetic patterns associated with ASD or ADHD were less likely to show signs of the conditions if they acquired Lachnospira pectinoschiza and Parabacteroides distasonis during their first year. “The foundations for brain health are laid very early, even before birth,” says author Hein Min Tun of @thechineseuniversityofhongkong . “However, we don’t want people to think this means a child's developmental path is fixed at birth. These are complex conditions with many causes, and we've only uncovered a small piece of a very large puzzle.” To learn more, check out our link in bio 👉 @cellpress Cell Press Blue, Ng et al., “Epigenome-microbiome interplay in early life associates with infants’ neurodevelopmental outcomes” #neurodevelopment #microbiome #epigenetics #research

#Immunity Special Issue: Immune memory The concept of immune memory is foundational to immunology and to the notion of protective immunity. However, the definitions of memory within the immune system have shifted and expanded over time. In this issue of Immunity, we present eight perspective and review articles that capture current and classical views of adaptive immune memory and of what durable changes to stimuli mean for future immune responses. On the cover, the various components and layers of immune memory are depicted as a music emanating from an orchestra, highlighting the importance of coordination and harmonization of the many facets of immune memory—both innate and adaptive—for effective and lasting immune protection. To explore the issue, check out our link in bio 👉 @cellpress Image credit: Ester Zarate

Electric vehicles could double as mobile #batteries for the power grid🚘🔋 In new research from #Joule, scientists found that EVs could serve as a vast network of batteries, storing excess energy and feeding it back into the grid when demand surges. This approach could ease grid strain, cut emissions, and create revenue—but only if grid upgrades are made to incorporate vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology. V2G is software that allows EV charging stations to communicate with the grid, drawing power out to charge EVs and sending it back when needed. Researchers found that if the grid is updated proactively, each charger would need to generate just $0.12 to $0.18 per day to offset V2G costs, compared to $1.49 to $1.78 under phased updates. The strategy could also yield up to $47.5 million in cumulative carbon rebate revenue. “First, we need to upgrade the power system to support incoming electric vehicles,” says author Ziyou Song of @uofmichigan . “Then we can scale V2G when needed. The optimal solution is to upgrade the power system as soon as possible.” To learn more, check out our link in bio 👉 @cellpress Joule, Xu et al., “Proactive grid investment enables V2G for 100% adoption of electric vehicles in urban areas” #ElectricVehicles #SustainableEnergy #v2g #research

A 2-bit photon, artistic octopods, a metabolic glacier, and more from this batch of #CellPress covers.

Perinatal and early life immunity -- Trends in Immunology special issue The profound connection between mother and child reflects a dynamic immunological transformation that extends beyond gestation and early life. This Special Issue explores how the immune system safeguards maternal–fetal health and how environmental influences during early life leave lasting imprints on the immune system, ultimately shaping long-term outcomes for both mother and child. Image credit: @roberta_baldi_gallery (robertabaldi.com)

Why don’t some people practice what they preach? The brain region associated with acting morally inconsistent 🧠⚖️ New research from #CellReports identifies brain activity patterns associated with moral behavior and judgement. Scientists used fMRI imaging to scan people’s brains during a task that required them to weigh honesty and profit. They also asked participants to judge the morality of other people undertaking the same task. In morally inconsistent participants—those who judged other people’s cheating as immoral but rated their own cheating more leniently—the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) was less active. When the researchers stimulated participants’ vmPFCs in a follow-up experiment, they found that vmPFC stimulation resulted in higher levels of moral inconsistency compared to participants who received mock stimulation—suggesting that people who are morally inconsistent don’t make use of their vmPFC to integrate information when making behavioral decisions. “Individuals exhibiting moral inconsistency are not necessarily blind to their own moral principles, they are just biologically failing to consider and apply them in their own moral behavior,” says author Xiaochu Zhang of @studyatustc & @guizhou_university . To learn more, check out our link in bio 👉 @cellpress Cell Reports, Liu et al., “Moral inconsistency is based on the vmPFC’s insufficient representation across tasks and connectedness” #MoralInconsistency #MoralJudgment #neuroimaging #research

The carbon footprint of the Israel-Gaza conflict In new research from #OneEarth, scientists estimate that the Israel-Gaza war has generated over 30 million tons of CO2; an amount comparable to the annual emissions produced by 7.6 million gasoline cars. Using open source data, the team calculated total carbon emissions pre-, during, and post-conflict for both Israel and Hamas. Among other factors, they included military facility upkeep, airplane and land vehicle fuel combustion, munition detonation in both training and combat, construction of tunnels and other war infrastructure, and rebuilding after the conflict. In total, they found that the war produced 33.2 million tons of CO2 in one year—equivalent to the total emissions of Jordan for 2024. Post-conflict reconstruction was by far the biggest source of CO2 emissions, totaling up to an estimated 31.4 million tons. "Understanding the climate impacts of armed conflicts not only demonstrates just how significant emissions during wartime can be but highlights the vital need for robust data availability," write Neimark & colleagues. "We hope that results from this study help to highlight gaps in current armed conflict emission reporting while pushing for greater transparency on military emissions overall." To learn more, check out our link in bio 👉 @cellpress One Earth, Neimark et al.,"Israel-Gaza conflict carbon emissions exceeded 30 million tonnes" #Gaza #Israel #CarbonFootprint #research

Cell Press covers: Ancient cats, life in a dew drop, and more 💧