Talk Science To Me

2/2 Now, scientists can use this knowledge to trace the origins of vital crop traits, identify key genes, and breed more resilient potatoes. 🧬🥔

1/2 This hybridization gave rise to one of nature's most useful innovations: the underground tuber. 🌱🍅 That single trait helped potatoes survive extreme climates, spread across the Andes, and ultimately feed billions today! 🌱🥔

Ancient hybridization underlies tuberization and radiation of the potato lineage Genomic and functional analyses reveal that the potato lineage originated from a homoploid interspecific hybridization event between the Tomato and Etuberosum lineages 8–9 million years ago. The alter...

🧬 A new study in Cell reveals that the potato lineage was born from an ancient hybridization between the ancestors of tomatoes and Etuberosum, around 8–9 million years ago!

📎 www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...

Floss-based vaccination targets the gingival sulcus for mucosal and systemic immunization - Nature Biomedical Engineering Floss-based vaccination exploits the leaky junctional epithelium of the gingival sulcus to deliver different types of vaccine, inducing robust mucosal and systemic immunity and providing protection ag...

🧪 Want to learn more about this study? Read the full article!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Pros ✅: painless, needle-free, easier to deliver or even mail, similar cost, no medical training needed
Cons ⚠️: won’t work for folks without teeth or those with gum disease
Still experimental—but could truly shake up how we get vaccinated.

🐭 In mouse tests, floss‑vaccinated critters survived a lethal flu challenge—while unvaccinated ones didn’t. The floss method generated antibodies not just in the blood, but also in saliva, feces, bone marrow, lungs, and spleen—evidence of strong mucosal + systemic immunity.

🦷✨ Needles? Nah. Just floss. Scientists have found a wild way to deliver vaccines—using dental floss coated in vaccine ingredients. The study shows that flossing the space between your teeth and gums triggers a powerful immune response—with fewer barriers than under‑tongue drops or nasal sprays.

🎙️ In case you haven't followed us yet on our other platforms - it's okay, but also it's time to hit follow button to do not miss out other videos we publish!

Cheers! 💋

🎥 Interview with dr. Moore: www.instagram.com/p/DMf2CcmsUMA/
www.tiktok.com/@talkscience...

#science #career #mentorship

🧬 In this particular video we asked Dr. Moore about fighting with impostor syndrome in science - something that most of us experience. Do you want to know how you can fight it? Make sure to watch the video, but also other interviews videos with Dr. Moore!

🧪 Happy Monday y'all! To make your week better, we remind you that last week we shared another interview series with one and only @drerikamoore.bsky.social ✨ Dr. Moore shared with us some really valuable insights into the research she makes, but also something else...

Mitochondrial Donation in a Reproductive Care Pathway for mtDNA Disease | NEJM Pathogenic variants in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) are a common cause of severe, often fatal, inherited metabolic disease. A reproductive care pathway was implemented to provide women carrying pathog...

3/3 This marks a true milestone in reproductive genetics!

Want to dig deeper? Check out the studies in The New England Journal of Medicine:
📄 www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/...
📄 www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/...

2/3 🧫 Scientists fertilized two eggs (one from the mother, one from the donor) with the father’s sperm. They then replaced the donor’s nuclear DNA with the mother’s. Result: an embryo with parents’ DNA and donor’s mitochondria, free of disease!

1/3 Yes! This cutting-edge procedure was designed to create embryos free from harmful mitochondrial mutations (which are carried by the mother and typically passed down to her children).

It involved 3 individuals:
🧬the mother
🧬the father
🧬the healthy mitochondrial donor.

🚨Breaking News!🚨

Scientists from the U.K. confirm that eight children are living healthy lives thanks to a revolutionary three-person in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Wait… three people? 🤯

3/3 🎥 Check out the full video on our TikTok and Instagram: @talkscience_official

🌟 Want more amazing stories from the world of cells? Follow us for your weekly dose of mind-blowing science! 🧪

Viruses hijack FPN1 to disrupt iron withholding and suppress host defense - Nature Communications Here the authors show that viral infections facilitate accumulation of cellular iron by degradation of iron exporter ferroportin (FPN1), and that high intracellular iron suppresses type I IFN response...

2/3 📖The original paper: Tong et al. Viruses hijack FPN1 to disrupt iron withholding and suppress host defense, Nature Communications (2025).

🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s41...

1/3 Did you know some viruses are basically cellular robbers? They hijack the iron exporter, ferroportin (FPN1), to build up iron inside your cells - and that has big consequences for your immune defenses. What does it mean for fighting viral infections? You’ll find out in this episode!

👋 Hey Immune Geeks!
Magda is back with another episode — and this one is a true heist story happening inside your cells!

🦠Buckle up! In this Immuknowledge, we dive into a viral immune escape strategy with a quick detour through… iron transport!

#science #immunology

🗣️He even found their fungal “vocabulary” could be up to 50 words!

So… does that mean fungi could be singers too?🎙️🤔

Turns out, they kind of are!

Meet Bionic and the Wires — an art collective that turns bioelectric signals (like fungi’s) into music! 🎶🌱

bionicandthewires.com

Language of fungi derived from their electrical spiking activity | Royal Society Open Science Fungi exhibit oscillations of extracellular electrical potential recorded via differential electrodes inserted into a substrate colonized by mycelium or directly into sporocarps. We analysed electrica...

🍄What if we told you fungi have their own language?

A while ago, Prof. Andrew Adamatzky studied the electrical signals in four fungi species...
...and discovered that fungi use spikes of electrical activity that resemble words!

royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...

🧬 And in early studies, NICER didn’t just shrink tumors. It helped keep cancer from coming back after surgery — exactly when stem cells usually try to stage their comeback tour.

You can watch full video on our Instagram and TikTok! @talkscience_official

#science #cancer #research #stemcells

💉 Scientists just built a nanovaccine with the perfect name: NICER. It doesn’t just target regular cancer cells — it’s designed to zero in on cancer stem cells specifically.

🥷🏻 They’re rare, sneaky, and super stubborn. While chemo wipes out the bulk of the tumor, these stem-like cells often survive and can regrow the entire cancer — sometimes even stronger than before. So… what if we could vaccinate against them?

🧪 It’s Stem Press time! Here, we’re all about stem cells — but here’s the thing: not all stem cells are nice. Some are the ultimate villains hiding in plain sight: cancer stem cells 💀

A beautiful example of cellular teamwork!

🔗Read about the details here: academic.oup.com/nar/article/...

Non-coding Y RNA fragments in a complex with YBX1 modulate PARP1 residency at DNA double strand breaks Abstract. To protect genome integrity from pervasive threats of damage and prevent diseases like cancer, cells employ an integrated network of signalling p

🧬In more details, the RNA-binding protein YBX1 helps package ysRNA (a type of non-coding RNA) into exosomes. These vesicles are then taken up by neighboring cells, where they enhance DNA repair and boost cell survival in response to subsequent radiation exposure.☢️

🧪We all care about our buddies - and so do cells! 🙌

📄This fascinating paper shows how cells with DNA damage caused by radiation don't just deal with it alone. They send out exosomes to nearby bystander cells, helping them respond to DNA damage too! 👇

💬This quote beautifully captures the essence of mentorship. It’s not just about teaching, but about truly caring for the growth and well-being of those we guide.🎓

📱 Watch the full interview with Dr. McEver here:
IG: www.instagram.com/talkscience_...
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@talkscience...

💡We have already shared many brilliant insights from Dr. McEver, but today we’re sharing one of our personal favorites:

✨“A good mentor has to have a genuine interest in the welfare and the progress of their trainees.”✨

Instagram: www.instagram.com/talkscience_...
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@talkscience...