🧬 biology

Epigenome-wide DNA methylation signatures associated with combined hormonal contraceptive use

This study identifies epigenome-wide DNA methylation signatures in peripheral blood associated with combined hormonal contraceptive use and hormonal trajectories, which correlate with synthetic hormone concentrations but not with depressive symptoms or endogenous hormone levels.

Mirac Nur Musaoğlu, Lea Zillich, Susanne Edelmann, Erika Comasco, Birgit Derntl, Ann-Christin S. Kimmig, Vanessa Nierats (…)2026-08-22
🧬 biology

Detection of candidate PET-active species in mangrove-derived microbial consortia

This study demonstrates that a two-phase enrichment strategy using cork as a co-substrate successfully selects mangrove-derived microbial consortia capable of degrading PET, revealing specific taxa such as *Amycolatopsis*, *Nocardopsis*, *Streptomyces*, and *Ramlibacter* that harbor genes for PET depolymerization.

Lila Aldakheel, Rubén Díaz-Rúa, Xiang Zhao, Semidán Robaina-Estévez, Alexandre S. Rosado, Diego J. Jiménez2026-08-21
🧬 biology

Single-cell transcriptomics reveals age-specific epithelial evolution and metabolic vulnerability in young breast cancer

This study utilizes single-cell transcriptomics to identify youth-specific hypermetabolic epithelial subpopulations driven by oxidative phosphorylation in young breast cancer patients, revealing a distinct age-dependent evolutionary trajectory and establishing OXPHOS inhibition as a promising targeted therapeutic strategy.

JiangYang Wan, Rui Peng Zhao, Chen Zhang, Wei Song, LinLin Zhen, DongZhu Da, Zhi Li2026-08-21
🧬 biology

FranceGenRef: first steps towards a whole-genome reference panel grounded in French regional ancestral diversity

To address the under-representation of French ancestry in global genomic databases, this study presents the FranceGenRef panel, a whole-genome reference resource derived from 856 individuals with deep regional roots that catalogs genetic variants and their geographical distribution across metropolitan France to support future genomic medicine and research.

Emmanuelle Génin, Pierre Lindenbaum, Damien Delafoy, Florian Sandron, Véronique Geoffroy, Gaelle Marenne, Anthony Herzig (…)2026-08-21
🧬 biology

Development of a Highly Sensitive and Rapid Lateral Flow Immunochromatographic Assay for the Quantitative Detection of Small Extracellular Vesicles

This study presents a novel, rapid, and cost-effective lateral flow immunochromatographic assay that utilizes a two-step incubation protocol and chemiluminescent detection to achieve highly sensitive, quantitative measurement of small extracellular vesicles (CD9) with a detection limit 40–60 times lower than conventional colorimetric methods, offering a versatile dual-modality platform for clinical liquid biopsies.

Makoto Watanabe, Yuta Miyazawa, Takashi Yamasaki, Yoshikazu So, Taka-Aki Sato2026-08-21
🧬 biology

Integrative Genetic and Pathway Profiling Reveals the Molecular Landscape of Dystonia

This study integrates genetic and pathway profiling of focal isolated dystonia patients to demonstrate that diverse genetic mutations converge on interconnected biological networks involving mitochondrial function, neurotransmitter synthesis, ion channel activity, and transcriptional regulation, thereby supporting the development of pathway-oriented therapeutic strategies.

Neetu Rani Dhiman, Surbhi Singh, Deepika Joshi, Royana Singh, Ashish Ashish, Shivani Mishra, Anand Kumar, Varun Kumar Si (…)2026-08-21
🧬 biology

An off-the-shelf light-sheet microscopy ecosystem enables versatile cleared-tissue imaging across scales and applications

This paper introduces descSPIM-Advanced, a versatile and cost-effective off-the-shelf light-sheet microscopy ecosystem that unifies high-resolution, multicolor, and large-field-of-view imaging capabilities through interoperable variants and a standardized control system to democratize 3D cleared-tissue imaging.

Etsuo Susaki, Yuki Nozawa, Steven Edwards, Kiyotada Naitou, Maximilian Senftleben, Akira Yoshikawa, Yukihiko Sato, Yuri (…)2026-08-21