Latest news stories - October 2025 - Click the links to read more
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Birds around the world share a mysterious warning cry
Birds across the globe independently evolved a shared warning call against parasites, blending instinct and learning in a remarkable evolutionary pattern. The finding offers a rare glimpse into how cooperation and communication systems evolve across species. Published on October 3 in Nature Ecology and Evolution, the study provides a window into how natural selection influences the development of animal communication.
Genetics flag mental health risks years before symptoms
According to World Health Organization data, more than one billion people live with a mental disorder. Depression alone affects 5.7% of adults. Bipolar disorder affects about 1 in 150 adults (40 million). Against this backdrop, researchers are using large genetic studies to flag who is at higher risk years before the first clinical sign. A recently posted study in the journal Genes outlines how precision medicine—combining genomics with environment and lifestyle—can move care from reaction to prevention.
From gentle giants to ghostly hunters, sharks face an unseen peril
New research reveals that deep-sea mining could dramatically threaten 30 species of sharks, rays, and ghost sharks whose habitats overlap with proposed mining zones. Many of these species, already at risk of extinction, could face increased dangers from seafloor disruptions and sediment plumes caused by mining activity.
Neanderthal-human hybrids may have been scourged by a genetic mismatch
Modern humans may indeed have wiped out Neanderthals – but not through war or murder alone. A new study suggests that when the two species interbred, a slow-acting genetic incompatibility increased the risk of pregnancy failure in hybrid mothers. A similar mismatch between mothers and fetuses may also help explain a subset of pregnancies that fail today.
Biology teacher becomes first UK patient to receive ‘gamechanger’ therapy for MS
A biology teacher has become the first patient in the UK to receive “gamechanger” therapy to treat multiple sclerosis, a condition that affects the brain and spinal cord. Emily Henders, 37, was diagnosed with MS in 2021 after suffering tingling in her hands. She suffered four relapses since her diagnosis, despite taking one of the most highly effective medications, but Ms Henders said she feels “good” after taking new CAR T-cell treatment at UCLH.