The sustainable removal of iron ions (Fe2+/3+) and sulfate (SO42-) from contaminated water remains a major challenge, particularly in mining-affected regions such as Lusatia (Germany), where both contaminants frequently co-occur at elevated levels. Here, a dual-modification strategy based on chitosan (Cs)-modified yeast cells (Cs@YC) and chitin-glucan complexes (CGC), is presented to enhance biosorption performance. Dried Cs@YC showed improved adsorption capacities compared to unmodified YC, while the combined Cs-functionalized CGC (Cs@CGC) exhibited the highest uptake capacities, reaching 2.09 mmol g-1 for Fe2+/3+ and 0.79 mmol g-1 for SO42- at pH 6. Microscopic and spectroscopic analyses (SEM-EDX, TEM, AFM, XPS) showed that Cs surface functionalization combined with alkaline-induced CGC restructuring increases the density and accessibility of amino and hydroxyl groups and promotes controlled iron (oxyhydr)oxide nucleation and crystallization. Equilibrium modelling using Langmuir, Freundlich, and Sips isotherms demonstrated that Cs@YC provides high-affinity metal-binding sites with positively charged surface domains that facilitate electrostatic association and adsorption of SO42-. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate the synergistic interaction between Cs modification and CGC-based structural tuning in yeast-derived biosorbents for dual Fe2+/3+/SO42- remediation. The results demonstrate that Cs@YC offers promising adsorption performance under controlled laboratory conditions, warranting further evaluation in real mining-affected waters containing competing ions and organic matter.

@article{Weißpflog9181,
author={Janek Weißpflog, Christine Steinbach, Frank Simon, Michaela Yuan, Urska Repnik, Simona Schwarz},
title={Synergistic iron ion and sulfate removal via chitosan-engineered yeast biosorbents.},
journal ={Bioresource technology},
volume={449},
pages={null--null},
year=2026
}

We introduce spatially informed variational autoencoders (SI-VAE) as self-supervised deep-learning models that use stochastic point processes to predict spatial organization patterns from images. Existing approaches to learning visual representations based on variational autoencoders (VAE) struggle to capture spatial correlations between objects or events, focusing instead on pixel intensities. We address this limitation by incorporating a point-process likelihood, derived from the Papangelou conditional intensity, as a self-supervision target. This results in a hybrid model that learns statistically interpretable representations of spatial localization patterns and enables zero-shot conditional simulation directly from images. Experiments with synthetic images show that SI-VAE improve the classification accuracy of attractive, repulsive, and uncorrelated point patterns from 48% (VAE) to over 80% in the worst case and 90% in the best case, while generalizing to unseen data. We apply SI-VAE to a real-world microscopy data set, demonstrating its use for studying the spatial organization of proteins in human cells and for using the representations in downstream statistical analysis.

@proceedings{Sturm9155,
title = {Spatially Informed Autoencoders for Interpretable Visual Representation Learning.},
year = 2026,
editor = {Dominik Sturm, Hiba Bensalem, Ivo F. Sbalzarini},
volume = {International Conference on Learning Representations (ICLR)},
series = {},
publisher = {ICLR}
}

Bifunctional diazirine lipids are versatile tools for mapping protein-lipid interactions and cellular localization by photo-cross-linking. Yet, the cross-linking efficiency of these probes has not been systematically evaluated. We use the lipid transfer protein STARD10, which binds phospholipids in a 1:1 stoichiometry within a hydrophobic pocket, to measure the upper limit of the photo-cross-linking efficiency of bifunctional lipid probes. We characterize reaction products using native and denaturing mass spectrometry. Our results show that approximately 5% of photoactivated lipids form covalent protein-lipid cross-links, while the majority follow intramolecular reaction trajectories, resulting in the formation of products featuring alkene, ketone and hydroxyl moieties. These findings provide essential context for the use of bifunctional probes to uncover the cell biology of lipids and highlight the need for continuous improvement to experimental workflows.

@article{Kirschbaum9202,
author={Clemens Kirschbaum, Hjoerdis Mathilda Lennartz, Katelyn C Cook, Kristin Böhlig, Athanasios Papangelis, Carol V Robinson, André Nadler},
title={Bifunctional Lipid-Protein Cross-linking Efficiency and Reaction Products.},
journal ={Journal of the American Chemical Society},
volume={},
pages={1--1},
year=2026
}

Desmoplastic small round cell tumor (DSRCT) is an ultra-rare sarcoma with limited treatment options. Here, we show that comprehensive molecular profiling informs diagnosis and individualized therapy in this disease. We report the results of whole-genome/exome, transcriptome, and DNA methylome analyses performed in 30 refractory DSRCT patients, complemented by (phospho)proteomic profiling in nine, within a nationwide precision oncology program. In eight patients (27%), DSRCT was diagnosed only after molecular profiling. Although DSRCTs have "quiet" genomes, 28 patients (93%) received 107 molecular-based management recommendations, including assessment of clinical trial eligibility in 17 (57%). Most recommendations are informed by overexpression of tyrosine kinases, SSTR3/5, and CLDN6, detected in 45%, 33%, and 20% of cases, respectively. Thirteen patients (46%) received recommended therapies, yielding disease control in eight (62%), including three long-lasting responses to pazopanib and trastuzumab deruxtecan, the latter administered based on ERBB2 overexpression in the absence of aberrant ERBB2 kinase activation. These findings demonstrate that multi-omics profiling provides clinically actionable insights for DSRCT management.

@article{Renner9203,
author={Marcus Renner, M Oleś, Nagarajan Paramasivam, Christoph E Heilig, Annika Schneider, Caroline Modugno, Catherine Herremans, J Hüllein, Barbara Hutter, Cihan Erkut, Andreas Mock, Eva Krieghoff-Henning, Cecilia B Jensen, Amirhossein Sakhteman, Matthew The, Tony Prinz, Panna Lajer, A Baude-Müller, Katja Beck, Bettina Beuthien-Baumann, Leonidas Apostolidis, Sebastian Bauer, Melanie Boerries, Christian H Brandts, D T Rieke, Thomas Kindler, Frederick Klauschen, Klaus Schulze-Osthoff, Richard F Schlenk, Guy Berchem, M Allgäuer, Gunhild Mechtersheimer, A Stenzinger, Daniel B Lipka, Matthias Schlesner, Bernhard Kuster, Arne Jahn, Evelin Schröck, C Heining, M-V Teleanu, P Horak, Simon Kreutzfeldt, D Hübschmann, Wolfgang Hartmann, Hanno Glimm, Stefan Fröhling},
title={Multi-layered molecular profiling informs the diagnosis and targeted therapy of desmoplastic small round cell tumor.},
journal ={Nature communications},
volume={17},
issue ={1},
pages={null--null},
year=2026
}

Human stem-cell-based embryo models (hSCBEMs) offer unprecedented opportunities for basic and translational research. However, the rapid pace of scientific developments in the field challenges the slower, traditional modes of ethics evaluation. To facilitate responsible research and governance, and ensure public trust, we propose using 'embedded ethics' as a purpose-anchored, dynamic, iterative and integrative approach where ethicists and scientists engage in continuous dialogue to ethically assess ongoing research. We outline a nested benchmarking strategy to periodically evaluate the scientific and ethical status of hSCBEMs within a project, using the human embryo as a reference and weighting criteria along a hierarchy of features that chart embryo-likeness, completeness and the developmental stage modelled. Embedded ethics guides the definition of decision points and ethical boundaries through an iterative assessment of project purpose and ethical and regulatory frameworks, and enables early identification of emerging issues and the co-construction of responsible paths forward.

@article{Bentzen9201,
author={Heidi Beate Bentzen, Maxence Gaillard, Iftach Nachman, Daniel Reumann, Nikolaj Gadegaard, Laurent David, Fredrik Lanner, Naomi Moris, Vincent Pasque, Nicolas Rivron, Berna Sozen, Rosario Isasi, Stefan Krauss, Jesse V Veenvliet},
title={A guide to using embedded ethics in human stem-cell-based embryo model research.},
journal ={Nature cell biology},
volume={},
pages={1--1},
year=2026
}

How inherent redox activity arises in biomolecular condensates remains unclear. Unlike interfacial systems, such as water microdroplets, where water oxidation underpins redox chemistry, condensates comprise biomolecules that can potentially furnish alternative electron-transfer routes. Here, using electron paramagnetic resonance, electrochemical potentiometry, mass spectrometry, and confocal microscopy assays, we discovered that orthogonal to water oxidation, microenvironment-dependent spontaneous tyrosine oxidation encodes an alternative redox pathway. Through proton-coupled electron transfer, self-induced tyrosine autoxidation in condensates drives the formation of reactive carbon and oxygen species, providing a pathway in parallel to hydroxide oxidation for hydrogen peroxide formation in condensates. This self-induced redox pathway modulates nonequilibrium condensate behaviors, including responses to external chemical perturbations and evolution of the condensate interior microenvironment. By correlating condensate biomolecular composition with inherent redox activities, our work establishes a conceptual framework suggesting that condensate-dependent electron transfer can be critical to define the functions of condensates and deliver a new redox mechanism for cell biology.

@article{Yu9185,
author={Wen Yu, Yanrun Zhou, Leshan Yang, Xiao Yan, Samuel N Smukowski, Yuefeng Ma, Jiali Fan, Young Ah Goo, Anthony Hyman, Yifan Dai},
title={Origins of the Intrinsic Redox Activity of Biomolecular Condensates.},
journal ={Journal of the American Chemical Society},
volume={148},
issue ={13},
pages={14443--14452},
year=2026
}

The directed motility of unicellular organisms is critical for their survival and ecological success, yet the mechanisms that enable rigid-walled diatoms to dynamically reorient and alter the shape of their trajectories remain poorly understood. Here, we investigate the gliding motility of Craspedostauros australis, a raphid pennate diatom that moves rapidly across submerged surfaces using an intracellular actomyosin motility complex and the secretion of adhesive extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) strands through slit-like openings termed raphes. Using high-precision single-cell tracking, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), interference reflection microscopy (IRM), and mathematical modeling, we reveal how diatoms achieve diverse path curvatures by dynamically modulating the location of raphe-substrate contact and switching between one- and two-raphe branch contact gliding. Our results indicate that local curvature variations along the raphes dictate trajectory shapes, with one-raphe branch contact gliding producing highly curved paths, while two-raphe branch contact gliding results in paths of lower curvature. IRM imaging further confirms that transitions between these gliding modes underlie abrupt changes in path curvature and cell reorientation. This dynamic raphe-switching mechanism is conserved across cell sizes and correctly predicts the increased path curvatures observed in smaller cells according to their more pronounced local raphe curvature. By quantitatively linking raphe geometry, cell-substrate attachment dynamics and motility patterns, our study provides insights into the motility mechanism that allows diatoms to adapt their movement to complex environments.

@article{Golfier9198,
author={Stefan Golfier, Veikko Geyer, Leon Lettermann, Ulrich S Schwarz, Nicole Poulsen, Stefan Diez},
title={Dynamic switching of cell-substrate contact sites allows gliding diatoms to modulate the curvature of their paths.},
journal ={Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America},
volume={123},
issue ={14},
pages={null--null},
year=2026
}

Let K\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\mathscr {K}$$\end{document} be the hypercube [-1,1]n subset of Rn\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$[-1, 1]<^>n\subset \mathbb {R}<^>{n}$$\end{document} and f:K -> R\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$f: \mathscr {K}\rightarrow \mathbb {R}$$\end{document} be a Morse function. We assume that the function f is given by an evaluation program Gamma\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\Gamma $$\end{document} in the noisy model, i.e., the evaluation program Gamma\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\Gamma $$\end{document} takes an extra parameter eta\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\eta $$\end{document} as input and returns an approximation that is eta\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\eta $$\end{document}-close to the true value of f. In this article, we design an algorithm able to compute all local minimizers of f on K\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\mathscr {K}$$\end{document}. Our algorithm takes as input Gamma\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\Gamma $$\end{document}, eta\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\eta $$\end{document}, a numerical accuracy parameter epsilon\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\varepsilon $$\end{document} as well as some extra regularity parameters which are made explicit. Under assumptions of probabilistic nature, related to the choice of the evaluation points used to feed Gamma\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\Gamma $$\end{document}, it returns finitely many rational points of K\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\mathscr {K}$$\end{document}, such that the set of balls of radius epsilon\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\varepsilon $$\end{document} centered at these points contains and separates the set of all local minimizers of f. Our method is based on approximation theory, yielding polynomial approximants for f, combined with computer algebra techniques for solving systems of polynomial equations. We provide bit complexity estimates for our algorithm when all regularity parameters are known. Practical experiments show that our implementation of this algorithm in the $$\textsf{Julia}$$Julia package $$\textsf{Globtim}$$Globtim can tackle examples that were not reachable until now.

@article{Din9199,
author={Mohab Safey El Din, Georgy Scholten, Emmanuel Trelat},
title={Probabilistic algorithm for computing all local minimizers of Morse functions on a compact domain},
journal ={Mathematics of Control, Signals and Systems},
volume={},
pages={1--1},
year=2026
}

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) encompasses liver steatosis and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), which can result in fibrosis and/or cirrhosis and increase the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The latest Clinical Practice Guidelines acknowledge the importance of systemic metabolic dysfunction as a driver of hepatic lipid accumulation and disease progression. To ensure translational relevance of preclinical models, they need to faithfully replicate the key human pathophysiological characteristics of MASLD and its progression to fibrosis and HCC. This Review discusses the strengths and weaknesses of prevalent MASLD and MASH-HCC preclinical models, expanding the discussion to the latest advances in vivo (for example, genetically altered, humanized and large animals) and in vitro (for example, organoids or spheroids, 3D-bioprinted livers, precision-cut liver slices, organs-on-a-chip and decellularized scaffolds). Evidence will be critically re-assessed according to the new MASLD definition, paving a consensus in the field for nomenclature, expected limitations and how to conduct a systematic validation of new models against human-relevant disease outcomes. We also propose a standardized pipeline for preclinical studies in MASLD and MASH-HCC. This Review aims to help researchers make informed decisions when choosing an experimental design that best aligns with the specific requirements of their projects, whilst meaningfully replicating human disease.

@article{Leslie9126,
author={Jonathan Leslie, Kishore A Krishnamurthy, Indresh K Gopalsamy, Patricia Inacio, Meritxell Huch, Suchira Gallage, Fiona Oakley, Michele Vacca},
title={Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease and steatohepatitis-associated hepatocarcinoma preclinical models.},
journal ={Nature reviews. Gastroenterology & hepatology},
volume={23},
issue ={4},
pages={286--317},
year=2026
}

We discover that biomolecular condensates, formed by intrinsically disordered proteins without inherent chemical activity, can spontaneously drive nonenzymatic reductive amination. These condensates facilitate reactions between amines and aldehydes or ketones, yielding imines, which are subsequently hydrogenated to form alkylated amines leading to C-N bond formation. Our experiments show that condensates modulate the reductive amination of diverse types of metabolite containing carbonyl groups. Using combinatorial metabolomics, we found that condensates generate previously unknown metabolites through the dimerization of natural amines with ketones and aldehydes. Metabolomics in living cells confirms that the ability of condensates in mediating C-N bond formation enables the synthesis of new metabolites and regulates cellular pathways. These findings uncover a previously unrecognized inherent function of biomolecular condensates, redefining their roles in metabolism. This further highlights the broader influence of condensates on chemical homeostasis and biochemical regulation in biological and prebiotic chemistry.

@article{Song9184,
author={Xiaowei Song, Yuefeng Ma, Michael W Chen, Wen Yu, Xiao Yan, Jinheng Xu, Lecheng Lyu, Anthony Hyman, Yifan Dai, Richard N Zare},
title={Biomolecular condensates mediate C-N bond formation.},
journal ={Nature chemical biology},
volume={},
pages={1--1},
year=2026
}