q-bio papers | Gist.Science

Palaeogenetic Insights into Kinship and Social Organization at the Early Bronze Age “Princely” Barrow Cemetery of Łęki Małe, Poland

This study utilizes genome-wide data from five individuals at the Early Bronze Age Łęki Małe cemetery in Poland to reconstruct a two-generation pedigree, revealing that elite funerary practices selectively foregrounded biological kinship through variable modes of inclusion, such as symbolic representation and whole-body interment, thereby structuring social identity around specific biographical relationships rather than normative kinship structures.

Nicolas Antonio da Silva, Janusz Czebreszuk, Marzena Szmyt, Ben Krause-Kyora, Johannes Müller2026-09-11

🧬 biology

Evolution of MAF and OTX families during the emergence and stabilization of rod photoreceptors across Metazoans

This study elucidates how gene duplication, positive selection, and the co-evolution of the MAF-family transcription factor NRL with OTX-family proteins and their cis-regulatory elements drove the emergence and stabilization of mammalian rod photoreceptors, enabling their survival through the Mesozoic era.

Anand Swaroop, Soumitra Pal, Noor White Carreiro, Zachary Batz, Leo Goubet-McCall, Caroline Judy2026-09-11

🧬 biology

Accessing non-fungal eukaryotic diversity in soil from Svalbard through DNA metabarcoding

This study utilizes multi-marker DNA metabarcoding (ITS2 and Cox1) to characterize non-fungal eukaryotic diversity in Svalbard's glacial forefields, revealing that community composition and diversity are strongly structured by environmental gradients such as temperature, pH, and organic carbon content along the primary succession chronosequence.

Dafne Anjos, Rodrigo Goldenberg-Barbosa, Anna Donato, Pedro Sasaki, Letícia Bastos Eller, Luiz Miguel Pontes Abrahão, Fa (…)2026-09-11

🧬 biology

SRPK1 and SEM1 as Key Polyamine Metabolism-Related Genes in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Integrated Bioinformatics Analysis, Mendelian Randomization, and In Vitro Validation

This study integrates bioinformatics, Mendelian randomization, and in vitro experiments to identify SRPK1 and SEM1 as key polyamine metabolism-related genes in non-small cell lung cancer, demonstrating that SRPK1 promotes tumor progression by regulating ODC1 and SAT1 and highlighting its potential as a diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target.

Fanlan Zeng2026-09-11

🧬 biology

Resolving the Limitations of Energy- Density-Based Dosimetry in the Laser Therapy Approach by Proposing a New Optical-Thermal Modeling Study with the Aid of the Arrhenius Damage Equation and the Monte Carlo Technique

This study proposes replacing the insufficient energy-density-based dosimetry in laser therapy with a physiologically grounded, damage-based framework by utilizing a Monte Carlo-integrated optical-thermal model and the Arrhenius equation to demonstrate that biological outcomes depend on the specific time course of temperature and tissue sensitivity rather than total energy alone.

Mahya Faramarzi Rad, Fatemeh Rezaei, Shaghayegh Fouladvandi2026-09-11

🧬 biology

Mitochondrial diversity and demographic history of Arctica islandica (Bivalvia: Venerida) in the German waters of the Baltic Sea

This study reveals that *Arctica islandica* populations in the German Baltic Sea exhibit high mitochondrial diversity and a history of postglacial expansion without significant regional genetic structuring, indicating they share widespread lineages with the broader amphi-Atlantic species range despite inhabiting distinct brackish environments.

Louisa Alina Schulz, Katharina Kniesz, Heiko Stuckas, Fabian Wolf, Michael Lothar Zettler2026-09-11

🧬 biology

Ancestry-Associated Distribution of IL6, IL1B, and TNF Variants Reveals Differential Genetic Susceptibility to Inflammatory Diseases

This study reveals significant ancestry-associated differences in the distribution of inflammatory gene variants (IL6, IL1B, and TNF) between Mexican Mestizo and Indigenous populations, with Indigenous groups showing lower frequencies of risk alleles compared to Mestizos and Europeans, thereby underscoring the necessity of ancestry-informed approaches for assessing inflammatory disease susceptibility.

Jesús Iván Rodríguez-Rodríguez, Héctor Rangel‑Villalobos, Guadalupe Ávalos-Navarro, Karina González‑Becerra2026-09-11

🧬 biology

Integrating Molecular Diagnostics and Interpretable Machine Learning to Identify Genetic Drivers of Drug-Resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis

This study demonstrates that integrating interpretable machine learning models with routine cycle threshold (Ct) molecular data from *Mycobacterium tuberculosis* isolates in rural Eastern Cape can accurately predict drug resistance patterns and identify key genetic drivers, offering a scalable framework to enhance tuberculosis management in high-burden, resource-limited settings.

Kamvelihle Sabisa, Ncomeka Sineke, Kelvin Tafadzwa Mpofu, Ntandazo Dlatu, Teke Apalata, Lindiwe Modest Faye2026-09-11

🧬 biology

An APOD-EFEMP1-COL5A2 fibroblast programme marks a matrix-remodelling, vascular and myeloid-associated niche linked to adverse gastric cancer outcomes

This study integrates multi-omics data to identify an APOD-EFEMP1-COL5A2 fibroblast programme in gastric cancer that defines a matrix-remodelling, vascular, and myeloid-associated niche linked to adverse clinical outcomes and suggests testable mechanistic hypotheses for therapeutic intervention.

Chuan Liu, Tao Wang, Mengmeng Li, Hao Zhang2026-09-11

🧬 biology

Construction of a Molecular Traceability and Identification System for Edible Rose and Its Analogues Using Chloroplast Genomes and DNA Barcoding

This study establishes a robust molecular traceability system for authenticating edible *Rosa rugosa* and distinguishing it from adulterants by integrating chloroplast genomic analysis, ITS2 DNA barcoding with secondary structure, and chemical profiling to address supply chain traceability and quality screening needs.

Mengdi Zheng, Miaomiao Li, Yibo Ma, Yangrui Li, Yulei Li2026-09-11