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The recent discovery of exoplanet TOI‑5573 b, a miniature Saturn-like planet, gives astronomers a fresh look at how planets can arise around small stars. 



The newly identified world measures 0.87 times Jupiter’s radius yet weighs just 0.35 Jupiter masses, yielding a Saturn‑like bulk density.



It orbits an M dwarf that is about 606 light‑years away, every 8.79 days, and at a distance of roughly 0.07 of an astronomical unit from its star. This keeps the planet's dayside near 528 K, which is cool for a gas giant so close in. 



<a href="https://science.psu.edu/astro/people/rbf5378" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rachel B. Fernandes</a> of Pennsylvania State University, and colleagues, confirmed the planet's existence using <a href="https://archive.stsci.edu/missions-and-data/tess" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NASA’s TESS photometry</a> plus radial‑velocity work from the <a href="https://neid.psu.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Habitable‑zone Planet Finder</a> and <a href="https://neid.psu.edu/">NEID spectrographs</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-toi-5573-matters">Why TOI-5573 matters</h2>



<a href="https://ciencia.nasa.gov/exoplanet-catalog/toi-5573-b/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The find</a> adds to the sparse catalog of Giant Exoplanets around M‑dwarf Stars <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2402.04946" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">(GEMS)</a>, a class with members having a radius of eight to fifteen times Earth's radius. 



Hot Jupiters turn up around early‑type M dwarfs only about 0.27 ± 0.09 percent of the time, according to a TESS‑based census.



Rare systems such as TOI-5573 test planet‑formation theory because low‑mass disks surrounding cool stars should contain too little material to grow such bodies quickly.



Each new example helps refine models that tie disk mass, metallicity, and migration history into one picture.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-snapshot-of-toi-5573-b-s-neighborhood">Snapshot of TOI-5573 b's neighborhood</h2>



The planet lies in the <a href="https://www.constellation-guide.com/constellation-list/lynx-constellation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">constellation Lynx</a>, a quiet stretch of sky without any bright stars nearby. Its host, TOI‑5573, is faint to the naked eye, with an apparent magnitude near 15.6 in visible light.



The star is roughly 40 percent smaller and less massive than the Sun, and shows no signs of strong flares or rotation, making it an excellent candidate for future follow-up. 



Its relative calmness improves the chances of detecting atmospheric features on the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/astronomers-announce-evidence-suggesting-that-our-solar-system-has-nine-planets-again/">planet</a> during transits.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-telescopes-caught-it">How telescopes caught it</h2>



“The planet was initially discovered by TESS and confirmed using a combination of 11 transits … achieving a 5-sigma precision on the planet’s mass,” wrote Fernandes and co‑authors. TESS logged eleven dips in starlight across four observing sectors. 



Ground‑based photometry from <a href="https://physics.uwyo.edu/~RBO/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Wyoming’s Red Buttes Observatory</a> nailed down timing, while high‑precision radial velocity curves delivered a 5‑sigma mass.&nbsp;



Speckle imaging ruled out close stellar impostors, and the resulting light‑curve–RV fit showed a low‑eccentricity orbit, hinting that the planet drifted inward through the disk rather than being flung by violent scattering.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-toi-5573-b-is-cooler-than-most-giants">TOI-5573 b is cooler than most giants</h2>



Despite its tight orbit, TOI‑5573 b is one of the coolest Saturn analogs known around an M dwarf. 



Its relatively mild <a href="https://www.astro.princeton.edu/~strauss/FRS113/writeup3/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">equilibrium temperature</a> means molecules such as methane and water vapor could persist high in the atmosphere, making it a tempting target for transmission spectroscopy, once the James Webb Space Telescope (<a href="https://science.nasa.gov/mission/webb/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">JWST</a>) shifts to fainter red dwarfs.



The host star’s metallicity comes in at roughly +0.4 dex, comfortably above solar. 



Metal‑rich disks radiate heat less efficiently; that higher opacity slows gas accretion and can leave a core capped with a limited envelope instead of a Jupiter‑mass bulk.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-m-dwarfs-are-hard-places-to-form-giants">M-dwarfs are hard places to form giants</h2>



Forming giant planets around <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/science-research/planetary-science/astrobiology/m-dwarf-mirage/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">M dwarfs</a> remains a puzzle because their protoplanetary disks are smaller and less massive than those of Sun-like stars. 



Most models suggest that building a solid core big enough to pull in gas has to happen quickly, before the disk disappears entirely within a few million years.



The odds are stacked against this happening in a low-mass disk, where the solid material is spread out thinly. The situation is even tougher for stars under 0.5 solar masses, like TOI‑5573, which sits just above that line.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-we-learned-from-toi-5573-b">What we learned from TOI‑5573 b</h2>



Core‑accretion models that include pebble drift reproduce Saturn‑mass outcomes in metal‑rich disks around stars as small as 0.2 solar masses. 



In those simulations, a <a href="https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/full_html/2024/02/aa47664-23/aa47664-23.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">growing core</a> reaches ten Earth masses quickly, but elevated dust content throttles cooling, delaying runaway gas capture until the disk disperses.



TOI‑5573 b fits that script: it is big enough to be a gas giant, small enough to be a “failed” Jupiter.



Gravitational instability could, in principle, spawn giants in situ, yet that pathway demands a disk nearly ten percent as massive as the star - an unlikely scenario for a modest red dwarf. The low eccentricity and close separation likewise favor migration over collapse at distance.



Future near‑infrared spectra should pin down atmospheric metallicity and search for hazes that could betray ongoing photochemistry. 



High‑resolution optical spectra will also refine the star’s iron content, trimming the error bars that blur trends between stellar metal supply and giant‑planet frequency.



The study is published in <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.08947" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Astronomy &amp; Astrophysics</a>.



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Newly identified planet is a rare 'miniature Saturn' orbiting a red dwarf

The recent discovery of exoplanet TOI‑5573 b, a miniature Saturn-like planet,...

Suggestive,Of,Neck,Ct,Scan,Seen,Right,Side,Problem.,3d

Strokes are usually blamed on clots from the heart or fatty build‑up in the carotid arteries. A new nationwide study points to a far less familiar culprit that is increasing at break‑neck speed.



Hospital stays tied to this type of stroke rose 400% between 2005 and 2019. <a href="https://www.brownhealth.org/providers/shadi-yaghi-md">Shadi Yaghi, MD</a>, a vascular neurologist at <a href="https://www.brownhealth.org/providers/shadi-yaghi-md" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Brown University</a>, led the team that reviewed 125,102 records to understand this disturbing trend.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-strokes-from-cervical-artery-dissection">Strokes from "cervical artery dissection"</h2>



A <a href="https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/STR.0000000000000457" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cervical artery dissection</a> happens when the inner lining of a neck artery splits and blood forces its way between the layers, creating a flap that can slow flow or spawn a clot, causing an ischemic stroke.



Up to <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9272308/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">one in four strokes</a> in adults younger than fifty trace back to an undetected tear, making the condition a top threat during prime working years.



The tear often follows a car crash, sports collision, or heavy lift, yet even an awkward reach into the backseat can trigger it. 



New ultrasound and magnetic‑resonance techniques now reveal tiny mural bruises that older scanners missed, so today’s numbers reflect both a true rise and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/eyes-serve-as-an-early-warning-system-for-stroke-risk/">sharper detection</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-clues-something-is-wrong">Clues something is wrong</h2>



A sudden one‑sided headache or neck pain, sometimes paired with a droopy eyelid, is the classic red flag that emergency clinicians <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dramatic-temperature-changes-linked-to-half-a-million-stroke-deaths/">learn to spot</a>. 



Some patients hear a pulsing “whoosh” in one ear, a clue that turbulent blood is racing past the tear.



When symptoms appear vague, physicians look for Horner’s syndrome, a pinpoint pupil with a partly closed lid, that often accompanies the injury. 



Emergency departments rely on computed tomography angiography, a dye scan that maps blood flow in minutes and is now the preferred first test in young <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stroke-risk-is-elevated-by-air-pollution-and-traffic-noise/">stroke</a> patients.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-the-numbers-keep-climbing">Why the numbers keep climbing</h2>



Incidence climbed from eleven to forty‑six cases per million people over fifteen years, an average ten‑percent rise every year.



Hispanic and Black Americans saw the steepest gains, nearly doubling the increase noted in white patients, suggesting disparities in both exposure to trauma and access to early vascular care. 



Cheaper scanners let smaller hospitals perform <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/peanuts-have-a-beneficial-impact-on-vascular-health/">vascular</a> studies on site. Clinicians also scan first and ask questions later, catching tears that once slipped under the radar.



“Strokes that are not fatal can lead to long‑term disability, poor mental health and reduced quality of life,” stated Yaghi, underscoring why <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stem-cell-therapy-improves-brain-activity-after-stroke/">earlier diagnosis</a> matters. 



The sharpest rise occurred in people older than sixty‑five, hinting that age‑related vessel changes and more liberal imaging are uncovering cases once blamed on arthritis pain.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-recognizing-cervical-artery-strokes">Recognizing cervical artery strokes</h2>



Sports medicine papers link dissections to wrestling throws, surfing wipeouts, and yoga headstands that force the neck past its usual range. 



A case report describes a thirty‑four‑year‑old woman who suffered a fatal stroke just hours after chiropractic neck manipulation, reminding clinicians to weigh benefits against rare but severe risks.



People with connective‑tissue disorders such as <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/ehlers-danlos-syndromes/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ehlers‑Danlos syndrome</a> face extra risk, and studies tie hypertension and migraine with aura to the condition as well. 



Vertebral tears demand respect because a nationwide follow‑up study found they almost doubled stroke risk within ninety days even when the first hospital stay ended without brain injury.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gaps-in-treatment-and-follow-up">Gaps in treatment and follow‑up</h2>



Guidelines favor starting an antiplatelet drug such as aspirin for three to six months, reserving anticoagulants for complicated or vertebral artery dissection that extends toward the brainstem. 



Occlusive tears may call for stronger medication, and many centers reorder imaging within a week to confirm blood is flowing through a safe channel.



Intravenous clot‑busting medicine remains safe when given within the standard window, according to a recent <a href="https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/JAHA.124.039662" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">American Heart Association review</a>. 



Endovascular stenting is saved for repeat attacks that break through medication, with observational series reporting technical success in more than ninety‑percent of treated segments.



Tele‑stroke clinics now let rural patients secure follow‑up scans and medication checks without long travel, a shift that could narrow the racial gap seen in the fresh data.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lowering-cervical-artery-stroke-risk">Lowering cervical artery stroke risk</h2>



Wear a seat belt, raise the headrest to eye level, and avoid twisting the neck while lifting heavy objects, even on short trips. 



Always secure loose cargo so you are not tempted to reach suddenly while driving; it is a small habit that keeps your shoulders, and arteries, out of harm’s way.



Strength‑training experts advise easing back into weights with lighter loads and steady breathing after imaging confirms healing, guidance drawn from sports case <a href="https://practicalneurology.com/diseases-diagnoses/stroke/bilateral-vertebral-artery-dissection-and-occlusion-after-a-long-distance-open-water-swim/32070/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reviews</a>. 



Listen to your body. A stubborn one‑sided headache or new neck pain after minor trauma is reason enough to seek medical care, especially if an eye looks different or speech sounds slurred.



Researchers are testing direct oral anticoagulants and ultrasound markers that might spot a weak artery before it fails, while genetic studies hunt for clues in connective‑tissue biology.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.neurology.org/doi/10.1212/WNL.0000000000213548" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Neurology</a>.



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This little-known cause of strokes is breaking records, increasing 400% since 2005

Strokes are usually blamed on clots from the heart or...

The machinery inside of each human cell usually behaves like a dimmer, turning genes up or down as needed. A new analysis shows that hundreds of human genes shun the dimmer and act more like a light switch, clicking fully on or off depending on the person.&nbsp;



The study was led by geneticist Omer Gokcumen at the <a href="https://www.buffalo.edu/">University at Buffalo</a>. His research reveals that this switch-like behavior may influence everything from fertility to cancer risk, depending on which genes are on or off.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-understanding-genes-the-basics">Understanding genes - the basics</h2>



Genes are like the body’s instruction manual, written in a language made of DNA. They tell cells how to build proteins, which do all kinds of jobs - from carrying oxygen in your blood to helping you digest food. 



Each gene is a stretch of DNA made up of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/luca-last-universal-common-ancestor-progenitor-all-life-on-earth/">four chemical letters</a> (A, T, C, and G), and the order of those letters determines what kind of protein gets made. 



It’s like a recipe: change one ingredient and you could end up with a different dish - or in this case, a different trait like curly hair instead of straight.



Things like diet, stress, or even pollution can switch certain genes on or off, without changing the DNA itself - this is what scientists call <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/what-is-epigenetics/">epigenetics</a>. 



So, even if you inherit a gene linked to a certain condition, it doesn’t always mean you’ll get it. That’s why twins with the same DNA can still turn out a little different.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-light-switch-gene-mystery">The light-switch gene mystery</h2>



Early <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK26872/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">work</a> on the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/lac-operon" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lac operon</a> in <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/about/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Escherichia coli</a> proved that a gene can be either silent or roaring, nothing in between. 



Researchers long assumed that such binary behavior was rare in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-raised-mouse-born-from-two-male-parents-to-adulthood-imprinting-genes/">humans</a> because most traits need finer control. Yet the new report argues the opposite, showing that on‑off genes are widespread and often tied to illness.



Gene expression is simply the act of reading DNA and making proteins; most genes rise and fall smoothly. <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-60513-x" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Switch‑like genes</a>, by contrast, settle into either high or low camps, with few residents in the middle.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hundreds-of-switch-genes-discovered">Hundreds of switch genes discovered</h2>



The team mined the <a href="https://www.gtexportal.org/home/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Genotype‑Tissue Expression Project</a>, a public atlas of 943 volunteers covering 27 tissues. 



They applied a statistical “dip test” to 516,267 gene–tissue pairs and flagged 473 genes whose activity followed a crisp bimodal <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-flowers-grow-perfectly-despite-chaotic-gene-activity/">pattern</a>.



“We believe switch‑like genes could one day be used to diagnose and perhaps even treat diseases,” said Gokcumen. 



Only 40 of those genes showed on‑off states everywhere, implying <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0966842X1630066X" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hard‑wired DNA control</a>, while the rest flipped only in certain organs.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-switch-gene-linked-to-health">Switch gene linked to health</h2>



Many of the 473 toggling genes sit at the heart of immune defense, metabolism, and cancer pathways. 



Low expression of <a href="https://www.genecards.org/cgi-bin/carddisp.pl?gene=USP32P2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">USP32P2</a>, for instance, has been associated with male infertility, while off‑states in <a href="https://www.genecards.org/cgi-bin/carddisp.pl?gene=FAM106A" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">FAM106A</a> may blunt the body’s response to COVID‑19.



Seven switch‑like genes in vaginal tissue, including <a href="https://www.genecards.org/cgi-bin/carddisp.pl?gene=ALOX12" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ALOX12</a> and <a href="https://www.genecards.org/cgi-bin/carddisp.pl?gene=KRT1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">KRT1</a>, shut down together in some women and correlate with <a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/a_to_z/vaginal-atrophy-atrophic-vaginitis-a-to-z" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">vaginal atrophy</a>, a postmenopausal thinning of the mucosa. 



“This coordinated silencing hints at master switches we could eventually toggle therapeutically,” noted first author <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Ns4R9VQAAAAJ&amp;hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alber Aqil</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hormones-switch-genes-on-or-off">Hormones switch genes on or off</h2>



The pattern of tissue‑specific switching pointed to hormones. In breast tissue, 157 of 158 switch‑like genes were far more active in women than in men, matching the estrogen-rich <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/luca-last-universal-common-ancestor-progenitor-all-life-on-earth/">environment</a>.



When systemic <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK559297/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">estrogen</a> falls after menopause, the seven atrophy‑linked genes often flip off in the vagina, leaving the epithelium fragile. 



About half of postmenopausal women experience symptoms of vaginal atrophy, yet most never seek help.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-epigenetics-plays-a-role">Epigenetics plays a role</h2>



Some switch-like genes are influenced not just by DNA or hormones but by <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/npp2012112" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">DNA methylation</a>, a chemical tag that turns genes off by altering how DNA is read. 



In tissues like the breast and prostate, researchers found a strong negative correlation between gene expression and methylation at nearby <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/cpg-site" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CpG sites</a>, which are common control points in the genome.



In the breast, for example, 71 switch-like genes showed this pattern, suggesting that <a href="https://link.springer.com/rwe/10.1007/978-3-642-16483-5_1944" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">epigenetic silencing</a> explains why some people have these genes off. 



That means two people with the same DNA sequence might express the gene differently depending on their epigenetic landscape, which can change over time due to age, stress, or environmental exposure.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-most-switches-are-tissue-specific">Most switches are tissue‑specific</h2>



Out of the 473 switch-like genes identified, only a small group flipped on or off in every tissue. Most behaved like switches in just one or two types of tissue, such as the breast, colon, or vagina. 



This tissue-specific pattern suggests that local conditions - like hormone levels or tissue-specific master regulators, control whether the switch flips.



Within each tissue, multiple switch-like genes tend to flip together, showing strong <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/gene-co-expression-network" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">gene-to-gene co-expression</a>. This clustering means they may be controlled by the same upstream signal. 



For instance, in the breast, several genes turned on together in females and remained off in many males, reflecting the influence of estrogen on the tissue’s gene activity.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-switch-genes-aid-diagnosis">Switch genes aid diagnosis</h2>



On‑off states make ideal biomarkers because a simple assay can sort patients into yes‑or‑no categories. <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9580661/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Topical estradiol</a>, already used for atrophy, restores vaginal pH and thickens the lining by turning many of the same genes back on.



Universal switch‑like genes, often governed by structural variants, suggest another route: DNA testing could flag individuals whose deleted or silenced <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6175939/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">USP32P2 allele</a> raises infertility risk. 



The study argues that long‑read sequencing will uncover the missing structural variants and complete the binary map.



Beyond hormones, environmental exposures may tilt genetic switches, creating a fertile ground for gene‑environment studies. 



Cataloging on‑off genes, the authors say, brings us closer to personalized medicine that treats the cause, not the symptom.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-60513-x" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Communications</a>.



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Scientists learn that some genes are like a light switch and turn 'on' or 'off,' nothing in between

The machinery inside of each human cell usually behaves like...

Bluebottles - also known as Portuguese man o' war - are jellyfish-like marine creatures with long, stinging tentacles that often wash up on beaches. It's been widely assumed that bluebottles all belong to a single species, but a new global genetic survey has revealed otherwise.



Dr. Samuel H. Church of <a href="https://www.yale.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Yale University</a> coordinated the genome work with Australian colleagues, including Professor Kylie Pitt from Griffith University. Their findings overturn two centuries of scientific classification.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-understanding-bluebottles-the-basics">Understanding bluebottles - the basics</h2>



The Portuguese man o’ war (Physalia physalis is the main species name), also known as the bluebottle, is a siphonophore - not a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-jellyfish-day-2024-protecting-the-health-of-our-oceans/">true jellyfish</a>, although it closely resembles one. 



What makes it extraordinary is that it’s not a single organism but a colonial one - comprised of genetically identical individuals called zooids. 



Each zooid performs a specialized role: one floats, another captures prey with stinging tentacles, a third digests, and yet another reproduces. 



These zooids function together as if they were one being, demonstrating a remarkable example of biological division of labor and cooperative survival.



This organism’s iconic translucent float, or <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/pneumatophores" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pneumatophore</a>, sits atop the water like a small sail, catching the wind to move it across the ocean’s surface. 



Beneath it trail long, venomous tentacles - sometimes over 30 feet - that contain specialized cells called nematocysts, which fire harpoon-like structures to inject potent venom into prey. 



Despite its beauty, the sting can be extremely painful to humans and potentially dangerous, though rarely fatal. The man o’ war plays a critical ecological role in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-the-sharks-body-grows-with-geometric-precision/">pelagic food webs</a>, preying on small fish and plankton while serving as food for predators like the blanket octopus and loggerhead turtle.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-four-species-of-bluebottles">Four species of bluebottles</h2>



The team sorted the <a href="https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/portuguese-man-o-war.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">specimens</a> into Physalia physalis, P. utriculus, P. megalista, and a newly named Physalia minuta, the last discovered in waters south of New Zealand. Each species carries distinctive sail colors and float shapes - traits once dismissed as harmless variation.



Genetic markers show the four <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-jellyfish-day-2024-protecting-the-health-of-our-oceans/">lineages</a> do not interbreed, even when they occupy the same stretch of ocean. This pattern means evolution is at work in the open sea, not only along coastlines or around islands.



“We were shocked, because we assumed they were all the same species,” said Professor Pitt. Her remark echoes a long‑held textbook view now overturned.



Every colony is a <a href="https://twilightzone.whoi.edu/explore-the-otz/creature-features/siphonophore/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">siphonophore</a> - a floating commune of genetically identical zooids that act as one animal. The arrangement lets a bluebottle grow long feeding tentacles while the gas‑filled float keeps the colony at the surface, a lifestyle that defines the <a href="https://theoceancleanup.com/updates/neuston-in-the-great-pacific-garbage-patch-and-the-impact-of-cleanup/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">neuston</a> layer.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-differences-beyond-appearance">Differences beyond appearance</h2>



Raw genomes alone rarely hint at an animal’s appearance, so the researchers combed through 4,000 beach photographs. Color signatures and sail angles in the pictures matched the genetic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/giant-phantom-jelly-discovered-exposed-ecosystem-under-antarctic-iceberg/">lineages</a> one by one.



Citizen scientists had, in effect, been taking field notes for years without knowing it. Their uploads supplied location data that helped map where each species turns up during different wind seasons. 



Machine‑learning tools flagged subtle differences, such as a deep‑purple crest on P. megalista or the small, clear float on P. minuta. Laboratory vouchers later verified those traits under a microscope.



The public photo trove also clarified left‑handed versus right‑handed sails, a feature that decides which way a bluebottle is blown. Such handedness now appears tied to species identity rather than simple developmental chance.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ocean-currents-separate-bluebottle-species">Ocean currents separate bluebottle species</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/jellyfish-more-than-just-a-snack-for-predatory-fish/">Ocean</a> circulation models recreated likely drift paths from hatchling to adult, revealing corridors that keep populations apart. 



Prevailing winds in the Pacific sweep P. utriculus west toward Australia, while the South Equatorial Current loops P. megalista into the Atlantic. 



The new species, P. minuta, hugs eddies of the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0924796319300259" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tasman Front</a>, a route that spirals larvae southward before they ever cross open ocean. Because gonads detach and sink below the surface to spawn, deep water layers also partition gene flow.



Subtle climate shifts could shuffle these corridors and mix the species in the future, but for now the lines stay crisp. That stability gives evolutionary forces room to sculpt body size, venom genes, and reproductive timing without interference. 



The finding challenges a common idea that wind‑powered drifters form one gigantic, well‑mixed population. Instead, even a creature built for travel can remain genetically provincial.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bluebottle-stings-vary-by-species">Bluebottle stings vary by species</h2>



<a href="https://sls.com.au/bluebottlewatch-a-new-research-project-to-develop-a-bluebottle-prediction-tool-for-our-beaches/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Surf Life Saving Australia</a> ranks bluebottle contact as a leading reason for first‑aid calls, spurring a research grant to build a beach sting forecast. 



Knowing which species is likely to arrive could sharpen those alerts, because tentacle length and venom chemistry differ among the four.



During the summer of 2017, more than <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-03-01/bluebottle-stings-up-900-per-cent-in-queensland/8313970" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">38,000 people</a> were treated for bluebottle stings in Queensland alone - a spike of 900 percent over the prior season. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-forecasting-bluebottle-seasons">Forecasting bluebottle seasons</h2>



Public health planners can now add species identity to their toolbox instead of relying on wind direction alone.



Lighter winds often carry the smaller P. minuta onto sheltered south‑facing bays, where novice swimmers gather. 



Lifeguards armed with species‑level forecasts might adjust patrols or signage accordingly. Thermal anomalies that favor jellyfish blooms may not boost every bluebottle equally, given their genetic split.



Future sting seasons could therefore hinge on which lineage catches the breeze rather than on sheer water temperature.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hidden-population-structure-in-the-ocean">Hidden population structure in the ocean </h2>



The bluebottle story joins other case studies of copepods and pteropods that show hidden population structure in the high seas. 



Collectively, these results overturn the old axiom that “everything is everywhere” once an organism can drift. Marine cleanup projects often claim surface life is sparse, implying little ecological risk when skimming plastics. 



Evidence of partitioned diversity urges far more caution before nets sweep across convergence zones.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-does-any-of-this-matter">Why does any of this matter?</h2>



Pharmaceutical scouts have isolated novel peptide toxins from P. physalis, but untapped species may hold different compounds with medical promise. A four‑species framework sets a clearer path for bioprospecting teams.&nbsp;



Climate models aiming to forecast <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/marine-robots-are-exploring-the-oceans-role-in-climate-control/">oceanic carbon</a> cycling need accurate species counts because each colony’s buoyant gas is nearly 13 percent carbon monoxide. Four distinct production rates could alter estimates of gas exchange at the air–sea interface.



Researchers who track long‑range migrants, from sea turtles to seabirds, can now refine diet studies. Predator scat may tell which bluebottle species dominates a given flyway, adding another layer to ecosystem maps.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-toxin-genes-in-bluebottle-species">Toxin genes in bluebottle species </h2>



Work is already under way to test whether the four lineages differ in toxin genes, an angle that could explain regional differences in sting severity. 



Another puzzle lies in the handedness trait, which might be hardwired by alleles rather than molded by early winds.



Field biologists plan to tag floats with tiny temperature loggers to see how much time each species spends in sun‑baked surface water. Results should reveal whether thermal tolerance helped split the lineages in the first place.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/abstract/S0960-9822(25)00682-7" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Current Biology</a>.



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Biologists discover that the "Portuguese man o' war" has multiple species

Bluebottles - also known as Portuguese man o' war -...

Queuosine may sound like a niche detail in a biochemistry textbook, yet this tiny compound touches nearly every corner of human physiology. 



Scientists have now identified how our cells grab it, opening new paths for research on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/first-map-of-the-brains-mitochondria-may-explain-cognitive-decline/">memory</a>, learning, and cancer resistance.



The work centers on queuosine, a vitamin‑like micronutrient we must borrow from food or friendly gut bacteria. 



A reseearch team led by Valérie de Crécy‑Lagard of the <a href="https://www.ufl.edu/">University of Florida</a> traced the entry point of queuosine into the cell, the transporter gene SLC35F2.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-is-queuosine">What is queuosine?</h2>



Queuosine is not built into proteins or DNA. Instead, it slots into transfer RNA (<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39600051/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tRNA</a>), the molecular interpreters that read genetic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/action-observation-network-human-brain-perception-see-what-we-expect-to-see-mind-eye/">codes</a>. 



By modifying the wobble position of tRNAs for histidine, tyrosine, aspartate, and asparagine, queuosine helps ribosomes choose the correct amino acid more quickly and accurately. That fine‑tuning keeps translation errors and oxidative stress in check.



Laboratory <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-83451-y" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">studies</a> show that supplementing queuosine reverses translation chaos and steadies protein production in stressed cells. Because humans cannot manufacture queuosine, diet and microbes must deliver a steady supply.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nutrient-and-cancer-connection">Nutrient and cancer connection</h2>



Experiments from the <a href="https://www.dkfz.de/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">German Cancer Research Center</a> uncovered a curious twist. Removing tRNA queuosine weakened context‑based memory in female mice but left males mostly unscathed.



The result hints that queuosine’s control over translation interacts with hormone‑sensitive neural <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/your-brain-literally-changes-based-on-daily-activities-and-lifestyle/">circuits</a>. Cancer biologists track the nutrient for another reason.



Tumor tissues often show steep drops in queuosine modification, a change that encourages the rapid, glycolysis‑heavy metabolism called the <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7146442/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Warburg effect</a>. In cultured cells, adding the precursor queuine slows growth in colon, liver, and breast cancer lines.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-queuosine-gets-in">How queuosine gets in</h2>



“For over 30 years, scientists have suspected that there had to be a transporter for this nutrient, but no one could find it. We’ve been hunting for it for a long time,” said de Crécy-Lagard. 



Hints about a queuosine gateway surfaced in the early 1990s when growth‑factor stimulation boosted uptake. Screens of known solute carrier proteins drew blanks, sending researchers back to the drawing board.



The investigators ran cross‑species genomics and <a href="https://www.genome.gov/genetics-glossary/CRISPR" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CRISPR</a> knockouts in <a href="https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/henrietta-lacks/importance-of-hela-cells" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">human HeLa cells</a>. Only one gene, SLC35F2, consistently blocked uptake when deleted.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-confirming-the-nutrient-s-pathway">Confirming the nutrient's pathway</h2>



Restoring SLC35F2 rescued transport, confirming it as the primary, high‑affinity channel for queuosine and its nucleobase form, queuine. 



Radiolabeled assays measured a Michaelis constant of 174 nanomoles, and competing nucleosides failed to displace queuosine from the transporter.



Fluorescence imaging placed SLC35F2 on the plasma membrane and inside the <a href="https://www.genome.gov/genetics-glossary/golgi-body" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Golgi</a>, a hint that queuosine may cycle through secretory routes before reaching cytosolic tRNA pools. 



The study also revealed a second, low‑affinity pathway that kicks in when dietary levels spike.



“We don’t think we could have cracked it without the full team,” said Vincent Kelly of <a href="https://www.tcd.ie/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Trinity College Dublin</a>, joint senior author and professor of biochemistry and immunology, highlighting the collaborative push.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-implications-for-brain-health">Implications for brain health</h2>



Neurons fire thousands of times per second, and any slowdown in protein synthesis can scramble that rhythm. 



In mice lacking tRNA queuosine, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780128131466000059" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hippocampal neurons</a> mis‑translate codons, depressing long‑term potentiation, a cellular marker of learning.



Restoring dietary queuine fixed the translation lag and improved maze performance within days. With SLC35F2 in hand, neuroscientists can now ask whether genetic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-brains-use-storage-trick-to-keep-your-memories-in-sequential-order/">variants</a> of the transporter align with neurodevelopmental disorders.



Public databases list rare point mutations in SLC35F2 in fewer than one percent of the population. Their functional impact remains untested, but the data set gives clinicians a starting point for genotype‑phenotype studies.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-could-this-nutrient-help-fight-cancer">Could this nutrient help fight cancer?</h2>



SLC35F2 carries an intriguing label as an oncogene. High expression predicts poor prognosis in some <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/4365-leukemia" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">leukemias</a> and solid tumors.



Researchers once assumed the protein simply imported chemotherapy drugs. Yet new data suggest that tumors may hijack SLC35F2 to starve cells of queuosine and rewire translation. Therapies could exploit the system in two ways.



Selective inhibitors might deprive cancer cells of the nutrient, pushing their error‑prone translation machinery past a lethal threshold. 



Alternatively, stabilized queuosine analogs could flood normal tissues that preserve SLC35F2, tamping down oxidative stress and inflammation. Early animal trials are already underway at several labs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dietary-sources-of-queuosine">Dietary sources of queuosine </h2>



Queuosine comes mainly from meat, dairy, and fermented foods, while some gut bacteria, especially members of the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/immunology-and-microbiology/bacteroides" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bacteroides</a> genus, synthesize it from scratch. 



Vegans often show slightly lower circulating levels than omnivores, though the difference disappears when microbial producers are abundant.



Antibiotic courses can wipe out those producers for weeks. <a href="https://www.tcd.ie/medicine/psychiatry/research/neuropsychiatric-genetics-research-group/study-volunteers-needed/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Researchers</a> in Ireland are now tracking whether short‑term queuosine drops after antibiotics correlate with slower reaction times or mood changes in healthy volunteers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cancer-drug-rides-along">Cancer drug rides along</h2>



SLC35F2 already had a reputation in oncology circles because it escorts the experimental anticancer drug <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7281096/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">YM155</a> into cells. 



Knowing that the protein’s day job is moving queuosine gives pharmacologists a fresh angle: they can tweak YM155’s structure to ride the same pathway more efficiently.



Conversely, blocking SLC35F2 might protect healthy neurons during chemotherapy by keeping YM155 out while allowing other nucleosides through alternative transporters. 



That strategy would echo the way cardiologists use dexrazoxane to shield the heart from doxorubicin, targeting transporter specificity rather than the drug itself.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gut-microbes-and-queuosine">Gut microbes and queuosine</h2>



The discovery also tightens the link between diet, microbes, and host gene expression. If intestinal bacteria ramp up queuosine output, plasma levels rise, SLC35F2 activity increases, and translation fidelity improves.



Better fidelity reduces misfolded proteins that would otherwise inflame the gut, creating a positive feedback loop. 



Disrupt the loop with a high‑fat, low‑fiber <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mixed-diets-offer-health-benefits-and-lower-carbon-footprint/">diet</a>, and queuosine production plummets. Misfolded proteins accumulate, triggering oxidative stress that further damages the gut barrier. Restoring queuosine, through supplements or fermented foods, could break the cycle.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-plans-for-queuosine-research">Future plans for queuosine research</h2>



The team wants to chart how queuosine levels rise and fall across organs and over the human lifespan. 



High‑throughput mass spectrometry, paired with SLC35F2 genotyping, should reveal whether deficiencies track with cognitive decline or chemotherapy resistance.



“This discovery opens up a whole new chapter in understanding how the microbiome and our diet can influence the translation of our genes,” said Kelly. Diagnostic kits could follow.



A simple blood test measuring queuosine might guide personalized nutrition plans, especially for patients with gut dysbiosis or limited dietary variety.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2425364122" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



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Little-known nutrient can boost your brain and fight cancer

Queuosine may sound like a niche detail in a biochemistry...

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