In warming coastal seas, a crucial ecosystem is being replaced by ‘turfs’ of red algae, which release chemicals that suppress kelp survival.

An emerging fungal infection is endangering bats in America. DNA analysis reveals that the infection first arose in Europe, mediated by two fungal culprits.

Mitochondria, best known for converting nutrients into energy, also generate superoxide and hydrogen peroxide — redox signalling molecules that become harmful when overproduced. Research reveals that such overproduction is not random, but rather occurs at a specific site in one mitochondrial enzyme, opening the door to targeted therapies for metabolic diseases.

Metamaterials made of magnetic photonic crystals have been generated and tuned to a theoretically predicted transition point at which peculiar optical properties emerge. For example, when light is shone on a slab of the material, some of it is reflected back as a spatio-temporal vortex.