Planetary protection hinges on understanding microbial survival following reduction procedures, the stressors of space travel, and exposure to extraterrestrial environmental conditions. This study identified 23 fungal strains isolated from NASA spacecraft assembly cleanrooms, capable of surviving ultraviolet radiation exposure. Using experimental simulation facilities, we conducted a comprehensive assessment of microbial survivability and morphology on the most resilient spacecraft-associated microorganisms. Aspergillus calidoustus demonstrated remarkable survival under simulated Martian conditions, withstanding up to 1,440 min of Martian solar irradiation, Mars atmospheric pressure and composition, and the presence of Martian regolith. Lethality only occurred under combined irradiation and cooling to -60°C (the mean Mars surface temperature), emphasizing the synergistic effect of these conditions. Furthermore, A. calidoustus survived long-duration neutron radiation exposure (replicating ionizing space radiation doses) and dry-heat microbial reduction technique (typically used for spacecraft components). This is the first study to perform an end-to-end evaluation of eukaryotic microbial survival across conditions that occur during preparation for, travel to, and robotic exploration of Mars. The experimental facilities and chronic exposure methods utilized offer a biologically meaningful model for understanding microbial risks during long-duration space missions. The capacity for fungal conidia to survive multiple space-relevant conditions suggests their potential as forward contaminants, capable of being transported to and persisting on Mars. As current spacecraft microbial reduction protocols prioritize bacterial spores, this research highlights a critical gap in planetary protection strategies. In addition to offering novel insights into microbial survival, these findings have broader implications for biocontamination within the food, pharmaceutical, and medical sectors.IMPORTANCEThis study reveals that conidia of the fungus Aspergillus calidoustus, which was isolated from spacecraft assembly cleanrooms, can survive simulated space-relevant stressors like ultraviolet irradiation, Martian cold atmospheric pressure, regolith exposure, ionizing radiation, and specific doses of recommended dry-heat microbial reduction method for spacecraft. Such fungal resistance demonstrates that the species can survive certain space and Mars conditions previously thought to be sterilizing, highlighting a need to revise current spacecraft decontamination standards that focus mainly on bacterial spores. This study also emphasizes the need for continued microbial monitoring of spacecraft during transit from Earth to other planets, not only to achieve goals of planetary protection but also to maintain healthy closed systems for human missions. Moreover, fungal species are highlighted as biocontamination risks for food, medical, and pharmaceutical industries, which may require the need for new standards of sterilization approaches transferable to space exploration.
Many petrological, geodynamical, and geochemical perspectives have offered circumstantial evidence for either an early onset of plate tectonics in the first 10% of Earth's history or a late onset after the great oxidation event (2.5 Ga ago). This calls into question over what timescales plate tectonics have influenced terrestrial geological and geochemical processes. We present geochemical data from the products of ancient crustal subduction, which were recycled into the deep mantle and then tapped by the modern Marquesas volcanic hotspot. We demonstrate that these materials have distinct short-lived radiogenic (146Sm-142Nd, t1/2 = 103 Ma) isotopic compositions (average μ142Nd = +2.3 ±1.3, n = 3) compared to other Marquesas lavas (average μ142Nd = -0.8 ±1.2, n = 7). These results require that the history of these subduction products diverged from those of other Marquesas magmas more than four billion years ago. Quantitative modeling suggests that the most geochemically enriched Marquesas samples represent up to ~0.6% recycled crustal sediments, which may have been subducted at any time in Earth's history but were most likely subducted in the late Hadean Eon to early Eoarchean Era. The inferred felsic composition of such materials further requires that both crustal melting and sedimentation processes were active in some form on the early Earth. Further, the preservation of evidence for foundational planetary events in geologically young rocks reveals that Earth's volcanic hotspots could provide a defining perspective on the early planetary-scale processes that build Earth-like planets.
Studying planetary interactions in exoplanet systems informs theories of planet formation and evolution, providing essential context for understanding our own solar system. We combine spectroscopy, transit photometry, transit timing variations, and astrometry to characterize the TOI-201 system. The cotransiting system consists of a super-Earth, warm Jupiter, and massive companion at 5.8-, 53-, and 2900-day orbital periods, respectively. We perform dynamical simulations to study the past and future of the system. von-Zeipel-Kozai-Lidov oscillations emerge as the most plausible scenario to explain the outer companion's high orbital eccentricity, with planet-planet scattering a possible but less likely contender. Because of nonzero mutual inclinations between the planets, the system is visibly evolving on very short timescales, with the current cotransiting configuration ending in 200 years.
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Plastic ingestion and entanglement pose significant threats to sea turtles, yet the behavioral mechanisms driving these interactions remain poorly understood. We examined the responses of one rescued adult and four captive-bred juvenile green turtles (Chelonia mydas) to rope-based stimuli mimicking common marine debris: clean-, microfouled-, macrofouled-, and kelp-entangled ropes, along with kelp alone. Each individual was tested in three repeated trials under both single- and simultaneous-stimulus conditions. We quantified biting and leaning behavior across these trials. In single-stimulus trials, biting duration followed the order: kelp > kelp-entangled > macrofouled > clean rope. In simultaneous-stimulus trials, preference followed the order: macrofouled > microfouled > clean rope. During 3-min trials, combined strong visual and olfactory cues from both kelp-entangled (116 ± 7.3 s) and macrofouled (44 ± 13 s) ropes elicited the strongest foraging responses (biting), while clean ropes (9.1 ± 3.3 s)-lacking food cues-elicited the weakest. Importantly, turtles bit or touched both the biological material and the rope substrate, implying that biofouling facilitates incidental plastic ingestion. Conversely, turtles showed longer durations of leaning on clean ropes-approximately 2-fold and 8-fold greater than those on macrofouled and kelp-entangled ropes, respectively-potentially increasing entanglement risk despite the absence of food cues. These findings highlight the dual risks of plastic debris-as ingestion hazards when entangled with or colonized by prey, and as entanglement hazards even when bare. Management should prioritize the early retrieval of debris before significant fouling develops to protect endangered marine megafauna.
Current understanding of Martian regolith has advanced due to various rover explorations. Due to this, there are now several variants of Martian regolith that are chemically known and commercially available. These simulants are vital for panspermia models that suggest a transfer of simple life throughout the solar system via ejecta containing life from Mars when its surface was more favourable to host life. Bacteria that produce endospores are suitable candidates for these models as they have adequate protection from the harsh conditions of space. To assess this, the simple endospore former, Bacillus subtilis, was assessed for growth on several Martian regolith that represented different locations and epochs of Mars. This consisted of a conventional Martian regolith, a sulphur rich regolith, and a simulant of the Jezero crater which was thought to have once been flooded with water. We found that the sulphur rich regolith inhibited endospore formation, while the other two variants favoured endospore production. Interestingly, we also identified that pulsing of UVC in a simulation of endospores on rotational ejecta show that endospores break down faster with lower rotational frequency despite receiving the same UVC dose. Moreover, and most strikingly is that viable endospores after surviving UVC dosage displayed elevated expression of the DNA damage SOS response gene, RecA. Importantly, this study suggests that astrobiological approaches that utilise endospore viability as a benchmark for survival require reassessment as genomic integrity may be compromised.
Although desert dust is the most abundant atmospheric aerosol by mass, its longwave radiative effects remain unclear, obscuring the impacts of dust on weather and climate. Here, using a data-driven analytical model constrained by observations, we show that scattering and absorption of longwave radiation by dust heats the planet by +0.25 ± 0.06 W m⁻² (90% confidence). This is nearly twice the value simulated by current climate models, which omit longwave scattering and underrepresent super coarse dust (diameter > 10 μm). These omissions bias modeled surface energy fluxes, cloud responses, precipitation, and atmospheric circulation. At the global scale, the sign and magnitude of the net dust direct radiative effect remain uncertain, with additional work needed to constrain shortwave cooling effects. These findings show that improving the representation of dust interactions with longwave radiation can improve weather forecasting and is essential to resolve the role of dust in climate change.
Chrysaora pacifica, a scyphozoan jellyfish widely distributed in East Asian waters, has recently shown signs of range expansion along the coasts of Korea, Japan, and China. However, ecological information on its early planktonic stage, the ephyra, remains limited. In this study, we experimentally investigated the effects of seawater temperature on the growth, feeding, and survival of C. pacifica ephyrae under controlled laboratory conditions. Five temperature treatments (12, 16, 20, 24, and 28 °C) were selected based on the species' natural occurrence period. The results showed that ephyrae exhibited stable growth and feeding at 20-24 °C, with a high survival rate of approximately 90%, indicating that this range represents the optimal thermal condition for the ephyra stage. At 28 °C, growth and feeding were highest among all treatments; however, survival declined sharply to 22.5%, suggesting that elevated temperature may impose physiological stress. In contrast, at 12 °C, both growth and feeding activity were markedly reduced, and survival decreased to 32.5%. These findings demonstrate that temperature is a key environmental factor influencing the physiological performance and survival of C. pacifica ephyrae. This study provides essential baseline data for understanding the early life-stage ecology of this species and contributes to improving predictions of jellyfish population dynamics and potential distribution shifts in East Asian marine ecosystems under future environmental change.
Dengue is known to be associated with El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) but the size of the effect is unclear, as is the influence of anthropogenic climate change (ACC). We aimed to quantify the associations between ENSO and dengue risk in 21 countries, and to estimate the contribution of ACC to the ENSO-related dengue burden. We collected monthly dengue cases and observed and simulated climate data from 21 countries including 1237 locations from 2000 to 2019. We characterised Eastern Pacific (EP) and Central Pacific (CP) ENSO exposures for each location based on the E and C indices and their respective teleconnections. Location-specific association between ENSO exposure and dengue cases was estimated using negative binomial generalised linear model combined with best linear unbiased predictions. We also estimated the ENSO-related dengue burden under scenarios with and without ACC. For each standard deviation increase in EP-El Niño strength and CP-La Niña strength, the overall risk of dengue cases across locations changed by 23·70% (95% CI 21·50 to 25·94) and -9·07% (-9·91 to -8·21), respectively. During 2000 to 2019, 4·45% (95% empirical CI [eCI] 3·75 to 5·32) and -3·34% (-4·01 to -2·64) of dengue cases were attributable to EP-El Niño strength and CP-La Niña strength, respectively. ACC accounted for 48·64% (95% eCI 38·01 to 60·19) of the EP-El Niño-attributable dengue increment and 33·05% (28·66 to 38·25) of the CP-La Niña-attributable reduction. These estimates corresponded to 403 197 (95% eCI 315 109 to 498 940) and -205 641 (-238 030 to -178 329) dengue cases across 1237 locations, respectively. The associations with ENSO varied strongly across the 21 countries. This study presents new model-based evidence of the strong associations between ENSO and dengue risk at a multicountry level, and suggests that the contribution of ACC to the effects of ENSO might differ geographically. Prevention and Control of Emerging and Major Infectious Diseases National Science and Technology Major Project, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and the Czech Ministry of Education Youth and Sport's programme ERC CZ.
Textile production is one of the largest industries on the planet. Global annual fibre production was over 113 million tonnes (Mt) in 2021 and is predicted to increase to 149 Mt by 2030. Research into this area has potential to have huge economic and environmental impacts, however the equipment needed to perform this research is often prohibitively expensive and only available on large scale, with quoted 'lab-scale' equipment still taking up the footprint of a small laboratory and costing hundreds of thousands of pounds. This paper details the design and fabrication of a truly lab-scale, modular wet spinning system for rapid first principle research into wet spun fibres. The total fabrication costs for this system are in the region of £500-700 and the total footprint required is <1 m2. The system also packs down for easy transportation and storage and requires a singles mains plug socket to operate. This system has already been used to explore a variety of wet spun fibres including cellulosics, alginates and caseins and has been used to develop new, novel dyeing systems for wet spun fibres as published in ASC Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering: https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.3c07437.
The tropical Andes represent not only one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet, but also a center of diversification and endemism for the hyperdiverse genus Pristimantis. Our study contributes to resolving and updating the taxonomy of one of the most diverse clades within the genus, the Pristimantis myersi clade. Here, we describe two new species of this clade and provide insights into their morphology, phylogenetic position, and biogeography. During field campaigns in 2022 and 2023, led by the Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad in Cotacachi, Imbabura Province, Ecuador, specimens were collected. These specimens were then analyzed using an integrative approach that combined external morphology and DNA sequencing to describe the two new species and update the phylogenetic framework of the P. myersi clade. Pristimantis cayapas sp. nov. is a small species distinguished by narrow spatulate toes, tympanum present, a short snout, and distinctive reddish inguinal coloration. Pristimantis dinardoi sp. nov. is a small species characterized by a visible tympanum, digital pads of fingers and toes wider than the digits, a heel with a conical tubercle surrounded by subconical tubercles, and groins with a range of vivid hues. Both species occur in high montane evergreen forests of the North western Ecuadorian Andes. Genetic distances also support their recognition as new species, with values exceeding 2.5% for P. dinardoi and 4% for P. cayapas when compared with their closest relatives. Our findings expand the known diversity of the P. myersi clade in the northern Andes of Ecuador and highlight the importance of integrative taxonomic approaches in disentangling cryptic lineages.
Planet-wide interpretations of shorelines suggest that Mars once hosted an early ocean covering one-third of its surface1-9. However, the elevations of these shorelines deviate from an equipotential surface by several kilometres, challenging that interpretation3,7,10-12. Here we investigate whether a planet that once hosted an ocean should be expected to leave discernible shorelines. We show that on Earth, the most prominent topographic signature of a global ocean is not a shoreline. Rather, it is a band of low slope and curvature values that comprises coastal plains and the continental shelf, with an elevation range of -410 m to -15 m. When applying a similar analysis to the Martian surface, we observe a comparably flat zone between approximately -1,800 m and -3,800 m elevation, potentially marking a partially preserved Martian coastal shelf. Although other processes, such as lava flows13, might explain flat regions locally, a coastal shelf best explains the circumglobal band of flat topography, in addition to river delta deposits4,14-17, coastal deposits18, thick sequences of layered rock19,20 and aqueously altered minerals20,21, all observed within the putative coastal shelf zone. Our results support the presence of an ancient ocean on Mars and indicate that topographic shelves rather than shorelines may be better indicators of long-lived oceans.
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The diagnosis and management of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV), a complex chorioretinal disease which constitutes 60% of neovascular age-related macular degeneration cases among Asians, have evolved significantly in the last decade. SD-OCT biomarkers can reliably diagnose and monitor PCV, restricting the role of invasive indocyanine green angiography to situations like suboptimal responders to therapy where it helps to clarify the diagnosis and explore other treatment options like laser. The introduction of Aflibercept resulted in a paradigm shift in the treatment from combination therapy (photodynamic therapy plus injection of anti-VEGF drugs) to anti-VEGF monotherapy after it was proven noninferior to the former in the PLANET trial. The limited availability of PDT also favored this shift. The longer half-life of Aflibercept led to adoption of proactive treatment regimens like treat and extend guided by fluid markers on OCT, reducing the treatment burden. Newer molecules with more potency and durability like Brolucizumab and Faricimab demonstrated superior drying effects and achieved a longer treatment interval of up to 16 weeks, offering additional options for anti-VEGF monotherapy. HAWK and HARRIER trials proved the noninferiority of Brolucizumab to Aflibercept, though there were safety concerns of inflammation. Interim analysis of the on-going SALWEEN trial for Faricimab in PCV has also shown favorable outcomes. Characterizing the different phenotypes of PCV based on OCT and choosing the appropriate drug and treatment regimen are important to maximize visual outcome while reducing the treatment burden. This article reviews the evolution of anti-VEGF therapy in PCV and provides recommendations for optimal management in the real world.
The current kidney care model-focused on late-stage disease and in-center hemodialysis-is unsustainable, because of costs, environmental burden, poor outcomes, and reduced quality of life. The 78th World Health Assembly's recognition of kidney disease as a serious health threat presents a critical opportunity to reshape kidney care. Aligned with this, the 2026 World Kidney Day theme, "Kidney Health for All: Caring for People, Protecting the Planet," calls for a systematic change. A sustainable model must prioritize early detection and prevention, reducing the need for kidney replacement therapy. Transplantation and home dialysis benefit people with kidney failure, environment, and society. Dialysis itself must become more ecofriendly without compromising care quality, recognizing that planetary perturbations in turn affect kidney health. Conservative care should also be considered, particularly for elderly and frail patients, if the quality-of-life benefits outweigh the perspectives offered by dialysis. Achieving this shift requires coordinated action across all stakeholders; education and engagement of the public, policy makers, and health professionals to raise awareness about the threat of kidney disease; and an urgent move toward patient-centered care.
Despite the remoteness of their breeding sites, subantarctic seabirds are susceptible to anthropogenic pollutants (e.g. microplastics) and other chemical stressors (e.g. plastic additives) that are released from ships and research stations, arrive in ocean currents, are transported in the atmosphere, or are ingested when the birds feed north of the Antarctic Polar Front. In this study, we investigated the presence and levels of microplastics and several groups of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in adults or chicks of seven seabird species breeding at the subantarctic islands of South Georgia. A total of 1275 anthropogenic particles were recovered in the gastrointestinal tracts of 76 seabirds, with a frequency of occurrence of 97.4%, a mean value of 16.78 ± 18.79 particles per individual and of 0.03 ± 0.03 particles/g body weight. Ten percent (n = 130 particles) of the particles were identified chemically using microFTIR spectroscopy, of which 59% were synthetic, 18% were natural, 19% were anthropogenic unknown and 4% were anthropogenic cellulosic. Of the EDCs, only polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and methoxylated polybrominated diphenyl ethers (MeO-PBDEs) congeners occurred at levels above the limit of quantification. Liver samples consistently exhibited the highest concentrations of both contaminant groups. The highest concentrations of PBDEs were in adult brown skuas (133.96 ng/g) and of MeO-PBDEs were in wandering albatross chicks (6.50 ng/g). This research provides evidence of plastics and plastic additives in subantarctic seabirds, underscoring the need to strengthen measures aimed at reducing marine pollution.
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This research tests the hypothesis that oxygen mass transfer through a hollow fiber membrane contactor remains unaffected by changes in gravity. To validate this, oxygen mass transfer coefficients were measured under terrestrial, Martian, Lunar, and microgravity conditions simulated during parabolic flights. Baseline data from 15 terrestrial experiments were statistically compared via Student's T-Test to results from 10 Martian, 10 Lunar, and 5 microgravity parabolas. The respective p-values of 0.41, 0.48, and 0.85, all well above the 0.05 threshold, indicate no significant difference in oxygen mass transfer across gravity levels. These findings support the robustness of membrane gas transfer technologies across varied gravitational environments, advancing their Technology Readiness Level. This outcome has important implications for life support and in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) systems in space habitats and promises to enhance membrane process efficiency in diverse terrestrial and extraterrestrial applications.
Observations of morphology are commonly used to evaluate the biogenicity of terrestrial microfossils and could constitute a crucial line of evidence for extraterrestrial life-detection missions in the future. However, evaluating the origin of morphological features in the rock record can be problematic because naturally occurring abiotic structures can resemble biological morphologies, which may lead to false-positive detections of fossilised life. Iron-mineralised chemical gardens have been highlighted as potentially confounding abiotic structures because of their morphological and chemical resemblance to biomineralised filaments. Despite this, the potential for chemical garden structures to be preserved in the fossil record has not been thoroughly investigated. Here, we subjected abiotic iron-mineralised chemical garden structures to artificial maturation using hydrous pyrolysis, in order to evaluate their preservation potential. We found that these abiotic filaments were relatively resistant to degradation caused by maturation when compared with analogous biological material. Additionally, the transformation of ferrihydrite to crystalline iron oxides was found to be relatively inhibited, likely because of the influence of silica. These findings highlight the need for fossilised filamentous material to be distinguished from chemical garden structures before a biological origin can be confidently attributed, particularly when observed in significantly altered rocks.