Inhibiting the sonic hedgehog (Shh) pathway strongly perturbs feather development in chickens by restricting feather bud outgrowth, invagination and branching, according to a study published March 20^th, in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by Rory Cooper and Michel Milinkovitch from the University of Geneva, Switzerland.

Fruit fly mutants that have severe sleep deficits perform better at olfactory learning and memory tasks, according to a study published March 20^th in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by Sheng Huang and Stephan Sigrist from Freie Universität Berlin, Germany, and colleagues. The paradox of enhanced memory despite sleep loss could be explained by protein kinase A (PKA) signaling in the mushroom body of the fly brain. 

$2M from the Bezos Earth Fund to help save 25 frog species through conservation, rewilding, and disease prevention efforts.

Circadian rhythms are endogenous time-keeping mechanisms that regulate physiological processes in response to external light-dark cycles. These rhythms are orchestrated by the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in the hypothalamus and involve a network of genes, including CLOCK and BMAL1, that influence metabolism, immune responses, and cell proliferation. Recent research has highlighted the crucial role of circadian rhythms in tumor biology, demonstrating that their dysregulation contributes to tumorigenesis, progression, and metastasis. Additionally, circadian rhythms influence the tumor immune microenvironment and the efficacy of anticancer therapies, paving the way for potential rhythm-based precision treatments.

When an iceberg nearly the size of Chicago broke away in January from a massive floating glacier attached to the Antarctic Peninsula ice sheet, an international team of scientists aboard Schmidt Ocean Institute's research vessel Falkor (too) became the first to investigate an area of the seafloor never before accessible to humans. In the pristine icy waters, they discovered a vibrant, thriving ecosystem of marine life, captured for the first time on film.