https://phys.org/ en-us Latest news from eLife Researchers have found that adolescents focus more on their own interests compared to adults when navigating social dilemmas, even when their interaction partners show greater willingness to cooperate. The study, published today in eLife , supports previous findings that teens tend to be less cooperative than adults, and sheds new light on how our willingness to work with others changes from youth into adulthood. eLife's editors describe it as important work, with a solid experimental approach to investigate cooperative behaviors in adolescents. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-teens-adults-social-situations.html Social Sciences Tue, 31 Mar 2026 12:30:01 EDT news694174997 Nocturnal insects may use both Earth's magnetic field and visual cues to guide their migratory flight behaviors, according to recent findings. The research, published in eLife, presents compelling evidence on how geomagnetic and visual cues are integrated in a nocturnally migrating insect—the fall armyworm—with findings that will be of interest to researchers studying animal migration and navigation. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-moths-magnetic-compass-visual-cues.html Plants & Animals Tue, 03 Mar 2026 15:40:01 EST news691763881 Researchers have found that the size of the amygdala—a region of the brain involved in processing emotions—could be linked to social tolerance in macaque monkeys. Their research, published today in eLife, is described by the editors as important work with a convincing methodological approach, offering new insights into the neural basis of social and emotional processing. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-brain-volume-linked-social-tolerance.html Plants & Animals Tue, 03 Mar 2026 12:20:04 EST news691754164 Researchers have shed new light on the features that enable tree-dwelling mammals to move effectively through their environments, providing insights into the evolution of the distinct upright postures seen in primates. The study, published in eLife, is the first to compare upward and downward climbing behaviors across a broad range of tree-dwelling (arboreal) mammal species. eLife's editors describe the work as valuable, with convincing analyses that will be of interest to biologists studying animal movement. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-climbing-behaviors-tree-mammals-insights.html Evolution Tue, 17 Feb 2026 10:00:01 EST news690543173 Researchers have developed a way to grow a highly specialized subset of brain nerve cells that are involved in motor neuron disease and damaged in spinal injuries. Their study, published today in eLife, presents fundamental findings on the directed differentiation of a rare population of special brain progenitors—also known as adult or parent stem cells—into corticospinal-like neurons. The editors note that the work provides compelling data demonstrating the success of this new approach. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-scientists-specialized-nerve-cells-degenerate.html Neuroscience Tue, 27 Jan 2026 20:00:01 EST news688751614 Researchers have identified a metabolically sensitive cell subtype in the eye's drainage system which shows early signs of dysfunction in a genetic mouse model of glaucoma. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-reveals-potential-therapeutic-glaucoma.html Genetics Tue, 20 Jan 2026 14:50:03 EST news688142658 Researchers have taken a leap in understanding how kangaroos can increase their hopping speeds without incurring an associated energetic cost. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-kangaroos-posture-energy-high.html Plants & Animals Fri, 19 Dec 2025 08:29:21 EST news685355342 Feelings of guilt and shame can lead us to behave in a variety of different ways, including trying to make amends or save face, cooperating more with others or avoiding people altogether. Now, researchers have shed light on how the two emotions emerge from cognitive processes and in turn guide how we respond to them. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-scientists-unravel-neural-networks-guilt.html Psychology & Psychiatry Thu, 18 Dec 2025 14:48:16 EST news685291681 Researchers have discovered how newly created neurons depend on blood flow in the adult brain to travel from their site of origin to their final location. The study in mice, published today in eLife, is described by the editors as fundamental. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-10-neurons-migrating-brain.html Neuroscience Tue, 28 Oct 2025 11:50:01 EDT news680870629 Researchers have uncovered genetic elements that drive the rapid development of marsupials' facial features. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-reveal-genetic-drivers-rapid-craniofacial.html Plants & Animals Tue, 28 Oct 2025 07:40:04 EDT news680856001 An analysis of hoverfly flight shows that wing design, not faster flapping, enables the smallest species to generate enough lift to fly. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-wing-small-hoverflies-stay-aloft.html Plants & Animals Tue, 30 Sep 2025 09:30:03 EDT news678442886 Researchers have described a large set of previously unrecognized enzymatic domains—named the Lipocone superfamily—and outlined their evolutionary pathway from bacterial defense molecules to key players in human development. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-wnt-reveal-protein-superfamily-tree.html Molecular & Computational biology Tue, 09 Sep 2025 13:17:05 EDT news676642622 Lateralization of the brain—the tendency for the left and right hemispheres to specialize in different functions—underlies the development of a left-to-right mental number line, according to a study in newborn chicks. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-09-brain-asymmetry-mental-line-early.html Medical research Tue, 09 Sep 2025 12:08:04 EDT news676638481 Nonhuman animals can adapt the intensity and direction of aggression to suit their individual needs and social contexts, according to a recent study. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-gorillas-adjust-aggression-based-personal.html Plants & Animals Fri, 25 Jul 2025 10:30:01 EDT news672657027 Researchers have described how fish larvae rely on species-specific combinations of vision and movement to detect and capture prey. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-fish-species-evolved-strategies-distinct.html Plants & Animals Tue, 15 Jul 2025 14:50:03 EDT news671809711 Scientists have created a more efficient and controlled way to produce lab-grown inner ear hair cells than current methods allow, offering a new tool for hearing loss research. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-approach-generating-ear-hair-cells.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 15 Jul 2025 14:49:17 EDT news671809752 Exposure to a common fungal molecule can reprogram immune cells in the lungs, causing them to overreact to infection-like signals and worsen lung damage, according to new research. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-07-common-fungal-molecule-prime-lung.html Immunology Tue, 08 Jul 2025 16:22:05 EDT news671210509 Researchers have pinpointed the precise pathway in the brain that suppresses pain in times of threatening situations. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-06-scientists-reveal-neural-mechanism-pain.html Neuroscience Tue, 24 Jun 2025 13:46:04 EDT news669991561 Researchers have developed a new toolkit for detecting trypanosome parasites in livestock, aiding efforts to monitor and control the disease. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-rna-african-trypanosomiasis-livestock-aids.html Veterinary medicine Tue, 17 Jun 2025 10:15:55 EDT news669374150 A new study has shown that person-to-person variation in antibody immunity plays a key role in shaping which influenza (flu) strains dominate in a population. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-06-large-scale-immunity-profiling-grants.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Tue, 03 Jun 2025 12:12:05 EDT news668171521 Researchers have revealed the structural mechanisms of a major DNA repair pathway in human cells. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-reveals-intricate-molecular-human-dna.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 27 May 2025 14:21:04 EDT news667574461 Researchers have identified a promising strategy to improve memory and brain cell function in models of 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-05-gene-reverse-cognitive-deficits-22q112.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Tue, 27 May 2025 14:19:05 EDT news667574341 A team of researchers have created a new resource for studying motor control of wing movements in fruit flies. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-fruit-fly-resource-reveals-nerve.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 13 May 2025 12:03:11 EDT news666356588 Researchers have shown that activation of the protein YAP, known to help cancer cells survive treatment, behaves very differently in cell culture models depending on how they are grown in the lab, highlighting the importance of mimicking tumor architecture to guide better drug strategies. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-04-3d-cell-cultures-insights-lung.html Oncology & Cancer Tue, 29 Apr 2025 15:12:05 EDT news665158322 Negative expectations can worsen perceived pain more strongly—and for longer—than positive expectations can make it feel better, according to new research. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-04-negative-stronger-longer-effects-pain.html Psychology & Psychiatry Tue, 29 Apr 2025 13:25:04 EDT news665151901 Researchers have shown that differences in the entire rotavirus genome—not just its two surface proteins—affect how well vaccines work, helping to explain why some strains are more likely to infect vaccinated individuals. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-04-viral-backbone-underlies-variation-rotavirus.html Genetics Tue, 08 Apr 2025 11:56:04 EDT news663332161 Researchers have revealed that the presence of Nora virus in fruit flies can increase their sensitivity to bacterial infection and could limit their lifespan. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-hidden-virus-harbored-fruit-flies.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 01 Apr 2025 12:57:39 EDT news662731054 Researchers have shed new light on how tissues in the body are repaired following the damage and premature death of tissue cells. https://phys.org/news/2025-03-necrotic-cells-contribute-body-regeneration.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 25 Mar 2025 15:25:04 EDT news662135093 A simple, freely available analysis tool and hardware for analyzing fruit flies allows opportunities for researchers in low-income settings or out in the field to screen for genes and nerve circuits underlying complex social behaviors. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-03-drosophila-analysis-tool-neuroscience-resource.html Neuroscience Tue, 25 Mar 2025 13:57:04 EDT news662129821 New research suggests that when people are hungry, they focus more on the tastiness of food and tend to ignore nutritional information, which may contribute to poor dietary decisions. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-03-hunger-shifts-attention-healthy-food.html Health Tue, 25 Mar 2025 13:54:05 EDT news662129641