After NIH decision to cap indirect costs, prominent molecular biologist calls for swift action, petition signatures

Cell Press

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On February 7, 2025, the U.S. National Institutes of Health announced a decision to cap indirect cost reimbursement—which supports the critical infrastructure and staff that make biomedical research possible—at 15%. In a commentary published February 28 in the Cell Press journal Cell, molecular biologist Tom Maniatis of the New York Genome Center (NYGC) and Columbia University's Zuckerman Institute reflects on the impact NIH funding has had on his own career and science, explores the value indirect investment has brought to U.S. science over the last five decades, and calls for urgent, unified action from the scientific community to prevent the cap from taking effect.

“The U.S. scientific ecosystem has long been an engine of innovation, fueled by strategic investment and collaborative effort,” writes Maniatis. “We must act swiftly and decisively to safeguard the future of science in the United States and ensure that research institutions have the resources they need to continue their essential work.”

Although the NIH decision has been temporarily blocked by a federal judge, it continues to raise significant concern in the scientific community because the proposed cap is significantly lower than the rate currently negotiated between the agency and many of the research institutions it funds. Maniatis was invited by Cell to share his perspective on this issue after the launch of a petition he created with his team at the NYGC; the petition has already garnered its targeted 5,000 signatures.

Maniatis believes that small, independent institutions will be harmed the most by this decision—and that that is cause for concern for everyone. In the commentary, he writes: “The NYGC has an over-decade-long history of bringing together broad, multidisciplinary collaborations … that are beyond the scope of any single institution. If the NIH indirect cost reimbursement rates are capped at 15%, small independent research institutions, like the NYGC, will be shuttered, stifling technological innovation, scientific progress, and collaboration.”

His commentary also expands on the bipartisan history of the NIH, including how it has been funded over time and the impact it has had on U.S. innovation, healthcare, and economic growth. In addition to inviting the scientific community and the public to sign the NYGC petition, he suggests the following:

• Bringing together stakeholders from across universities, independent research institutes, medical centers, and professional societies to speak against this decision
• Engaging with policymakers to ensure they understand why indirect cost reimbursement exists in its current form and the consequences this decision would have
• Collaborating with industry leaders, foundations, and philanthropists to bring attention to the broader economic and societal impact of weakening the U.S. scientific enterprise

“Advances in technology and the resulting deepened understanding of human biology at the molecular level have been beyond anything we could have imagined in 1971,” he writes, looking back at when he was awarded his first NIH grant. “My scientific career, and that of most scientists I know, would not have been possible without the steady support from the NIH, not only for salaries and supplies for my lab, but also providing funds to support the building, infrastructure, and utilities where my labs have been located, as well as the essential administrative support that has made our work possible.”

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Cell, Maniatis, “Safeguarding the Future of Biomedical Science in the United States” https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(25)00212-0 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2025.02.024

Cell (@CellCellPress), the flagship journal of Cell Press, is a bimonthly journal that publishes findings of unusual significance in any area of experimental biology, including but not limited to cell biology, molecular biology, neuroscience, immunology, virology and microbiology, cancer, human genetics, systems biology, signaling, and disease mechanisms and therapeutics. Visit http://www.cell.com/cell. To receive Cell Press media alerts, contact press@cell.com.

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Journal

Cell

DOI

10.1016/j.cell.2025.02.024 

Method of Research

Commentary/editorial

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Safeguarding the Future of Biomedical Science in the United States

Article Publication Date

28-Feb-2025

 

Omitting race from lung function equations increases detection of asthma in Black children

Study led by experts at Cincinnati Children's published Feb. 28 in JAMA Network Open

Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center

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Graphical abstract describes how continued use of race-specific equations in the diagnostic process of children with asthma symptoms limits the identification of reduced lung function in Black children.

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Credit: Cincinnati Children's

Despite ongoing progress, structural racism and health disparities continue to shape healthcare practices in ways healthcare providers may not even realize. A recent study in JAMA Network Open, published Feb. 28, 2025, shows that continued use of race-specific equations in the diagnostic process of children with asthma symptoms limits the identification of reduced lung function in Black children.

“This finding is important because when these children are not identified as having reduced lung function, they may not receive further testing. This can lead to under-diagnosis, delayed treatment, and long-term lung health issues,” says Gurjit Khurana Hershey, MD, PhD, senior author of the study.

Addressing an outdated equation

Diagnosing children with asthma is a multi-step process.

Reports of asthma symptoms from a physician or parental guardian start the diagnosis. Children then participate in pulmonary function testing to assess their lung function, including forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) tests. Children found to have abnormal lung function go on to further diagnostic testing.

Importantly, the FEV1 and FVC testing results in a percentage value compared to expected lung function. This expected lung function calculation is built into US spirometers–devices that measure lung function–and follows a standard equation using age, sex, body size and race.

Outdated and flawed studies led to the belief that white people have “naturally higher” lung function than other races. Thus, the calculation with race as a variable adjusts lung function by 10-15% for Black individuals and 4-6% for Asian individuals. However, this assumption and the resulting adjustments overlooks socioeconomic differences between racial groups. As a result, they unintentionally contribute to health disparities.

Updated equation still underused

In 2022, the Global Lung Initiative (GLI) Network updated lung function reference equations. To lower the negative impact of using race-specific equations, the new equations exclude race. However, healthcare providers have not universally adopted this new race-neutral equation.

The study led by first author Wan Chi Chang, MS, showed that the new race-neutral equation led to 2.5-4-fold more Black children with asthma symptoms as having reduced lung function compared to the race-specific equation.

This study included three cohorts of children from the Childhood Asthma Management Project (CAMP), the Cincinnati Childhood Allergy and Air Pollution Study (CCAAPS) and the Mechanisms of Progression of Atopic Dermatitis to Asthma (MPAACH) cohort. These cohorts include children with asthma or a high risk of asthma; 21% of these 1,533 children were Black. The use of the race-neutral equation changed 39% of all Black children from normal to reduced lung function when compared to the race-specific equation.

Additionally, when the race-neutral equation was used, 38-44% of Black children in the CCAAPS and MPAACH cohorts who were not initially eligible for further diagnostic testing became eligible. Importantly, using the race-neutral equation on White children had no meaningful impact on the lung function tests. These findings demonstrate that the race-specific equation overestimates lung function in Black children. This leads to under-diagnosis of asthma in this group.

Next Steps

Co-authors of this study recommend the universal use of the race-neutral equation. This will increase the diagnosis and treatment of asthma and alleviate asthma-related health disparities. Moving forward, they propose further evaluations of the race-neutral equation in measuring lung function in other ethnic groups.

About the Study

Wan Chi Chang, MS, Division of Asthma Research was the first author of the study. Co-authors from Cincinnati Children’s included experts from the divisions of Human Genetics and Pulmonary Medicine. Funding sources included two grants from the National Institutes of Health (U19 AI70235 and R01 ES011170).

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Journal

JAMA Network Open

DOI

10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.62176 

Article Title

Race-Specific and Race-Neutral Equations for Lung Function and Asthma Diagnosis in Black Children

Article Publication Date

28-Feb-2025

 

Study compares indoor transmission-risk metrics for infectious diseases

Higher Education Press

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 (a) Exposure time; (b) degree centrality; (c) closeness centrality; (d) betweenness centrality.

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Credit: Inseok Yoon et al.

A recent study published in the journal Engineering delves into the complex world of assessing the transmission risk of infectious diseases in indoor spaces. With the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, understanding how to accurately evaluate the effectiveness of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) has become crucial.

Governments worldwide implemented NPIs to control the spread of COVID-19. Many studies used simulations to measure the risk of infection transmission before and after implementing these measures. However, the choice of metric to quantify this risk can lead to different conclusions about the effectiveness of a policy.

The research team, led by researchers from various institutions in The Republic of Korea, analyzed the correlation between different transmission-risk metrics, pedestrian environments, and types of infectious diseases. They used data generated from simulations to conduct their analysis. Five different metric types were examined, including infection-based metrics, contact-based metrics, and network-based metrics (degree centrality, betweenness centrality, and closeness centrality).

An agent-based simulation model was developed using the Pedestrian Library feature of AnyLogic software, based on the layout of a building at Seoul National University. The model took into account lecture timetables, lecture room allocations, and agents’ behavior rules. Three environmental variables-infection transmission rate, free activity rate, and zoning-were considered in the simulations.

The results showed conflicting outcomes among the five metric types in specific environments. When the randomness of pedestrian trajectories in indoor spaces was low, closeness centrality had a higher correlation coefficient with infection-based metrics than with contact-based metrics. Also, for infectious diseases with low transmission rates, the likelihood of discrepancies between infection-based metrics and other metrics increased within the same pedestrian environment.

This study has important implications. Facility managers should not rely solely on one metric to evaluate NPIs. Instead, they need to consider the type of facility and the nature of the infectious disease when choosing a metric. For example, in environments with low pedestrian randomness like schools, contact-based metrics might be more appropriate, while in high-randomness environments like shopping malls, closeness centrality among network-based metrics could be more reliable.

The research also validates some assumptions in previous studies. For instance, it shows a strong correlation between infection rate and exposure time, supporting the common use of exposure time as a metric in COVID-19 studies. However, the study has limitations, such as being limited to university facilities and not fully considering the impact of indoor population density. Future research is needed to explore more diverse facilities and conditions to further enhance the understanding of disease spread in indoor spaces.

The paper “A Comparative Evaluation of Indoor Transmission-Risk Assessment Metrics for Infectious Diseases,” authored by Inseok Yoon, Changbum Ahn, Seungjun Ahn, Bogyeong Lee, Jongjik Lee, Moonseo Park. Full text of the open access paper: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eng.2024.11.029. For more information about the Engineering, follow us on X (https://twitter.com/EngineeringJrnl) & like us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/EngineeringJrnl).

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Journal

Engineering

DOI

10.1016/j.eng.2024.11.029 

Article Title

A Comparative Evaluation of Indoor Transmission-Risk Assessment Metrics for Infectious Diseases

Drone captures narwhals using their tusks to explore, forage and play

Whale tale: First evidence of ‘unicorn of the sea’ using their tusks in the wild

Florida Atlantic University

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The Arctic's iconic narwhal, renowned for its long, spiral tusk, is one of nature's most fascinating creatures. Yet, few have witnessed how these elusive animals use their tusks in the wild.

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Credit: O’Corry-Crowe, FAU/Watt, DFO

The narwhal (Monodon monoceros), an iconic whale of remote Arctic waters, is widely known for its long, spiral tusk, which is really an elongated tooth. The tusk, which is predominantly found in males and can grow up to 10 feet long, is one of the most fascinating traits in nature and the inspiration for myths such as the unicorn. It is believed to play a role in competition for mates, including mating displays. The tusk may have others uses and its function is still debated, primarily because few people have observed how these elusive animals use their tusks in the wild.

Limited field observations also means that little is known about many other aspects of the behavior of this highly gregarious Arctic whale, including social and reproductive behaviors, how they adapt to changing environmental conditions, or whether narwhals engage in behaviors that are not linked directly to fitness, like play.

Using drones, researchers from Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, and Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans, in partnership with Inuit communities in Nunavut in Canada’s High Arctic, provide the first evidence of narwhals using their tusks in the wild to investigate, manipulate and influence the behavior of Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus), including delivering sufficient force with their tusks to stun and possibly kill the fish. Researchers captured 17 distinct behaviors, which shed light on the dynamics between the narwhal, its prey and avian competitors.

Results of the study, published in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science, also reveal the first evidence of likely play, specifically exploratory-object play, in narwhals as well as other fascinating insights into narwhal behavior in a changing Arctic. Aspects of the narwhals’ actions for example, may also have included social learning, and possibly social instruction and personality differences among individual narwhal. These novel findings further enrich our understanding of narwhals’ complex behavior.

Findings also provide the first reports of interactions between narwhal, fish and birds, including attempted kleptoparasitism, a “food thief” situation, among narwhals and glaucous gulls (Larus hyperboreus).  

“Narwhals are known for their ‘tusking’ behavior, where two or more of them simultaneously raise their tusks almost vertically out of the water, crossing them in what may be a ritualistic behavior to assess a potential opponent’s qualities or to display those qualities to potential mates,” said Greg O’Corry-Crowe, Ph.D., senior author, a research professor at FAU Harbor Branch and a National Geographic Explorer. “But now we know that narwhal tusks have other uses, some quite unexpected, including foraging, exploration and play.”

The narwhals exhibited remarkable dexterity, precision and speed of movement of the tusk, and regularly made adjustments to track the moving target. The tusk, especially the tip of the tusk, was used to interrogate and manipulate the target by brief contacts, which typically elicited a response from the fish.

“I have been studying narwhal for over a decade and have always marveled at their tusks,” said Cortney Watt, Ph.D., co-author and research scientist and team lead at Fisheries and Oceans, Canada. “To observe them using their tusks for foraging and play is remarkable. This unique study where we set up a remote field camp and spent time filming narwhal with drones is yielding many interesting insights and is providing a bird’s eye view of their behavior that we have never seen before.”

This research highlights how environmental changes might introduce new interspecies encounters, challenging Arctic species to adapt.

“Our observations provide clear evidence of narwhals chasing fish and using their tusks to interact directly with the fish and to influence the fish’s behavior,” said O’Corry-Crowe. “Some of the interactions we saw appeared competitive in nature with one whale blocking or trying to block another whale’s access to the same target fish, while others may have been more subtle, possibly communicative and even affiliative. None appeared overtly aggressive.” 

Social behaviors among the whales – such as learning from one another – also suggest that social processes could speed up behavioral adaptation in response to Arctic changes.

“To understand how narwhals are being affected by and adapting to the changing Arctic, field studies using innovative, non-invasive tools like drones are essential to observe them in their natural environment without disturbing them,” said O’Corry-Crowe. “Drones provide a unique, real-time view of their behavior, helping scientists gather crucial data on how narwhals are responding to shifts in ice patterns, prey availability and other environmental changes. Such studies are key to understanding the impact of global warming on these elusive animals.”

Study co-authors are Maha Ghazal, Mark Gillespie and Luke Storrie, Fisheries and Oceans Canada; and Paul Galvin and Jason Harasimo, World Wildlife Fund, Canada. Watt also is an adjunct professor at the University of Manitoba. 

The research was supported by Fisheries and Oceans Canada; FAU Harbor Branch; the National Geographic Society; the World Wildlife Fund Canada; the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board; and Natural Resources Canada’s Polar Continental Shelf Program.

- FAU -

About Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute:
Founded in 1971, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University is a research community of marine scientists, engineers, educators, and other professionals focused on Ocean Science for a Better World. The institute drives innovation in ocean engineering, at-sea operations, drug discovery and biotechnology from the oceans, coastal ecology and conservation, marine mammal research and conservation, aquaculture, ocean observing systems and marine education. For more information, visit www.fau.edu/hboi.

 

About Florida Atlantic University:
Florida Atlantic University, established in 1961, officially opened its doors in 1964 as the fifth public university in Florida. Today, Florida Atlantic serves more than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students across six campuses located along the Southeast Florida coast. In recent years, the University has doubled its research expenditures and outpaced its peers in student achievement rates. Through the coexistence of access and excellence, Florida Atlantic embodies an innovative model where traditional achievement gaps vanish. Florida Atlantic is designated as a Hispanic-serving institution, ranked as a top public university by U.S. News & World Report, and holds the designation of “R1: Very High Research Spending and Doctorate Production” by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Florida Atlantic shares this status with less than 5% of the nearly 4,000 universities in the United States. For more information, visit www.fau.edu.

  

The Arctic's iconic narwhal. 

Credit

O’Corry-Crowe, FAU/Watt, DFO

Unicorn of the Sea [VIDEO] | 

The Arctic's iconic narwhal, renowned for its long, spiral tusk, is one of nature’s most fascinating creatures. Yet, few have witnessed how these elusive animals use their tusks in the wild.

Credit

O’Corry-Crowe, FAU/Watt, DFO

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Journal

Frontiers in Marine Science

DOI

10.3389/fmars.2025.1518605 

Method of Research

Observational study

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

Use of tusks by narwhals, Monodon monoceros, in foraging, exploratory, and play behavior

Article Publication Date

28-Feb-2025

 

Latin America faces growth hit as trade tensions escalate, warns Moody's

In a severe scenario where US tariffs on Mexican and Brazilian imports reach 20% and Chinese import tariffs hit 40%, Moody's warns the region could face a full-blown recession. / bne IntelliNewsFacebook

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By bne intellinews February 20, 2025

Trade conflicts and new US tariffs, compounded by a decelerating global economy, could reduce Latin American economic growth by 0.3 percentage points in 2025 and 0.4 percentage points in 2026, with recovery delayed until 2028, Moody's Analytics warned in a recent report.

"The opening salvos of the global trade war have already been exchanged, and while Latin America has narrowly stepped out of the firing line, difficult days are ahead," the agency said.

"While we expect Latin America to ultimately avoid recession under our baseline forecast, further tariff escalation could nudge the region into a broader downturn."

Mexico faces the greatest risk due to its deep economic ties with the US and reliance on remittances.

Moody's expects US tariffs on Mexican imports to rise to 10% in coming months, likely remaining until early 2026, with Mexican retaliation expected.

Unsurprisingly, immigration remains a key point of contention: "These [migrants'] inflows will remain a focal point of the Trump administration and are a potential wild card in US tariff policy. With inflows of undocumented migrants unlikely to fade as fast as Trump would like, the stage is set for higher tariffs on Mexico."

Brazil confronts separate challenges as tensions rise over its promotion of non-dollar trade within the expanded BRICS group, which now includes Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, and the UAE alongside original members Russia, India, China, and South Africa.

Brazil recently backtracked, with officials stating they will not pursue a common BRICS currency during this year's presidency of the bloc, focusing instead on facilitating trade in local currencies.

Yet, while President Lula da Silva has moderated his stance on a fully-fledged common currency, he maintains that BRICS nations have "the right to discuss establishing forms of trade that do not make us fully dependent” on the dollar.

The US is considering increased tariffs on Brazilian ethanol, while steel and aluminium duties set for March will affect both Brazil and Mexico.

Moody's notes the direct impact may be limited as steel comprises less than 1% of Mexican exports and under 5% for Brazil. However, Mexico directs almost 90% of its steel exports to the US, while Brazil sends just under 50%.

"More concerning for the Brazilian economy will be the broader-based slowdown of the Chinese and global economies,” the report said.

Brazil boasts the whole market basket of commodities, from industrial metals to agricultural products and even oil, with iron ore and metals exports accounting for around 15% of Brazil's total exports alone.

Unlike during the 2018-2019 trade tensions under Trump's first term, when Latin American nations managed to offset slower global growth through increased commodity exports to China and Asia, the region now has fewer alternatives while Beijing faces its own economic slowdown.

Meanwhile, in a potential blow to the region's agricultural exports, Chinese dietary changes have settled in and, with them, demand for grains, while Chile and Peru face weakening Chinese property markets.

In a severe scenario where US tariffs on Mexican and Brazilian imports reach 20% and Chinese import tariffs hit 40%, Moody's warns the region could face a full-blown recession.

Mexico would bear the heaviest impact due to US exposure, while Brazil would still suffer more from Chinese economic contraction.

Chile's concentrated commodity exposure makes it particularly vulnerable, with projections showing three consecutive quarters of GDP contraction.

Trump repeatedly warned BRICS countries not to challenge the primacy of the "mighty dollar," threatening 100% tariffs on the offenders, but potential dedolarrisation is still a long way off.  As Moody's recalls, the China Investment Information Platform, touted as an alternative to Western-led global payments, still relies heavily on SWIFT infrastructure.

On top of that, Federal Reserve data shows minimal advancement in global yuan usage across trade, debt issuance, international banking claims, and reserves, with most BRICS nations continuing to invoice predominantly in US dollars.

 

Erdogan challenger Imamoglu hit with new probe day after he applies to run for Turkish presidency

Ekrem Imamoglu. Another invitation from the chief prosecutor. / EkremImamoglu.com

By bne IntelliNews February 24, 2025

Turkey has initiated another investigation into Istanbul’s opposition mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu. This time investigators are examining claims that his university diploma is fake and that he “forged” official documents, state-run news service Anadolu Agency has reported.

The probe was announced one day after, on February 21, Imamoglu applied to become the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) candidate for president. Imamoglu lately called on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to engage in an “honest” fight for the presidency as he accused Turkey’s leader of more than two decades of attempting to manoeuvre him out of politics with judicial conspiracies. 

On March 23, the CHP is set to confirm Imamoglu as its candidate for the presidency.

“This investigation shows how much they fear Imamoglu,” CHP leader Ozgur Ozel was cited by local media as saying in Erzincan on February 22.

The new move against Imamoglu comes as prosecutors investigate leaders of Turkey’s top business association, Tusiad, following a ‘state-of-the-nation’ attack they made on the Erdogan administration in speeches given at their group’s annual assembly. An angered Erdogan warned the Tusiad officials they had “overstepped”.

The latest investigation into Imamoglu is being conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. Imamoglu has been asked to attend the office on February 26 to provide a statement.

In January, the Istanbul prosecutor opened an investigation into the mayor after stating the accusation that Imamoglu targeted an expert witness in a speech. He has further been accused of making “threatening” statements against the prosecutor.

In 2022, Imamoglu was convicted of insulting election officials. He is appealing against a sentence that would bar him from political office.

Imamoglu was yet to respond to the claims in the latest investigation.

He has previously denied all allegations made against him in the earlier investigations.

Turkey’s next general elections are scheduled for 2028. However, CHP and Imamoglu are pressing for an earlier vote.

Bloomberg said that Imamoglu’s resume on CHP’s website states that he graduated from Istanbul University’s English Business Administration Faculty in 1994 after switching from a university in Northern Cyprus.

A candidate for the presidency in Turkey must have a bachelor’s degree.