Wednesday, May 21, 2025

How to swim without a brain

Many microorganisms can move in a goal oriented way in liquids. How do they do this without a complex nervous system? Research conducted at TU Wien provides explanations

Vienna University of Technology

Cartoon — image:
Artist's impression of a tiny swimming creature: The body is modelled as a chain with several mass points in the computer simulation.
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Credit: TU Wien

Bacteria can do it, amoebas can do it, even blood cells can do it: they all have the ability to move in a goal oriented way in liquids. And they do so despite having extremely simple structures without a central control system (such as a brain). How can this be explained? A team from TU Wien, the University of Vienna and Tufts University (USA) simulated this type of movement on a computer and was able to show that swimming movements are possible even without a central control unit. This not only explains the behaviour of microorganisms, it could also enable nanobots to move in a targeted manner, for example to transport drugs to the right place in the body.

Success even without a central control system

“Simple microorganisms can be imagined as being composed of several parts, a bit like a string of pearls,” says Benedikt Hartl from the Institute of Theoretical Physics at TU Wien and the Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, lead author of the current publication. "The individual parts can move relative to each other. We wanted to know: under what circumstances does this result in a movement that causes the entire organism to move in a desired direction?"

This is relatively simple if there is a central control system – something like a brain or at least a nerve centre. Such a centre can issue specific commands to the individual parts. It is easy to understand how this can result in coordinated movement.

But a single-celled organism naturally has no nerve cells, no central processing system that could issue commands. How is it possible in this case for a coordinated swimming movement to arise? If the individual parts of the microorganism all behave according to very simple rules, can this result in collective behaviour that leads to efficient swimming?

Microorganisms simulated on a computer

This question was investigated using computer simulations: the microorganisms were modelled as chains of interconnected beads . Each of these beads can exert a force to the left or right, but each bead only knows the position of its immediate neighbours. There is no knowledge of the overall state of the organism or of beads further away.

“The crucial question now is: Is there a control system, a set of simple rules, a behavioural strategy that each bead can follow individually so that a collective swimming motion emerges – without any central control unit?” says Benedikt Hartl.

On the computer, the individual beads – the simulated parts of the virtual microorganism – were equipped with a very simple form of artificial intelligence, a tiny neural network with only 20 to 50 parameters, explains Hartl: "The term neural network is perhaps somewhat misleading in this context; of course, a single-celled organism has no neurons. But such simple control systems can be implemented within a cell, for example, by means of very simple physical-chemical circuits that cause a specific area of the microorganism to perform a specific movement."

This simple decentralized control system has now been adapted to the computer in search of the most efficient ‘control code’ possible that produces the best swimming behaviour. With each version of this control system, the virtual microorganism was allowed to swim in a simulated viscous fluid.

“We were able to show that this extremely simple approach is sufficient to produce highly robust swimming behaviour,” says Benedikt Hartl. “Although our system has no central control and each segment of the virtual microorganism behaves according to very simple rules, the overall result is complex behaviour that is sufficient for efficient locomotion.”

Biology and technology

This result is not only interesting because it explains the complex behaviour of very simple biological systems, it could also be interesting for artificially produced nanobots: “This means that it would also be possible to create artificial structures that could perform complex tasks with very simple programming,” says Andreas Zöttl (University of Vienna). “It would be conceivable, for example, to build nanobots that actively search for oil pollution in water and help to remove it. Or even medical nanobots that move autonomously to specific locations in the body to release a drug in a targeted manner.”

Journal

Communications Physics

DOI

10.1038/s42005-025-02101-5

Method of Research

Computational simulation/modeling

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Neuroevolution of decentralized decision-making in -bead swimmers leads to scalable and robust collective locomotion

Article Publication Date

18-May-2025

Study links dementia care gaps in Quebec to socio-economic status

McGill research informs policy-makers’ plan to make dementia care more equitable

McGill University

A new study has found stark differences in the dementia care received by people in richer and poorer neighbourhoods in Quebec, despite the universal health-care system.

The research was led by Dr. Claire Godard-Sebillotte, a Professor in McGill University’s Division of Geriatrics and a researcher at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre. It is the first large-scale study in Quebec to track how social conditions relate to dementia care.

The study analyzed health records from about 200,000 people newly diagnosed with dementia between 2000 and 2017. Each patient was followed for a year or until their death or admission to a long-term care facility, whichever occurred first.  To measure socio-economic status, the researchers used a standard material deprivation index, which ranks neighbourhoods based on income, education and employment levels.

People in the most deprived areas were more likely than people in the least deprived areas to be hospitalized, visit the emergency room, receive potentially inappropriate medications and die within a year of diagnosis. Meanwhile, people in wealthier neighbourhoods had more visits to cognition specialists.

Health-care disparities in context

Due to lifelong disadvantages, people in poorer areas may be in worse health by the time they’re diagnosed with dementia, which could partly explain why they rely more on hospitals and die more within the year of diagnosis. However, this raises questions about equity within our universal healthcare system, said Godard-Sebillotte.

“The persistence of these patterns over nearly two decades of data is concerning," she said. "Access to care needs to be adapted to people’s needs. Equity isn’t about treating everyone the same, it’s about making sure each person gets the right care for their situation."

People in poorer neighborhoods were more likely to be prescribed medications such as antipsychotics or benzodiazepines, which can increase the risk of falls and confusion. They were also less likely to see cognition specialists.

“This result suggests inequity. Indeed, if people in poorer neighborhoods consistently had more complex health needs, requiring these potentially inappropriate medications, they should be referred more to cognition specialists. It’s possible that people in these areas are actually not more complex but have less access to home care or other supports for caregivers to help manage difficult behaviours or symptoms, so doctors may turn to medications more often,” she said.

Using data to drive change

As one of the directors of the Research on Organization of Healthcare Services for Alzheimer’s team, Godard-Sebillotte and her colleagues work closely with Quebec’s health minister to share their findings and support evidence-based decision-making.

The study’s insights informed the Quebec Policy on Alzheimer's Disease and Other Neurocognitive Disorders which, contrary to most policies internationally, includes a standalone objective to reduce inequities in dementia care.

Next, the research team plans to examine how racialization, language and living in rural areas intersect with poverty to shape people’s access to care.

About the study

“Examining equity in service use across socioeconomic status in people with dementia” by Claire Godard-Sebillotte and Isabelle Vedel et al., was published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Behavior & Socioeconomics of Aging.

This study was supported by the Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging.

Journal

Alzheimer s & Dementia Behavior & Socioeconomics of Aging

DOI

10.1002/bsa3.70006

Method of Research

Data/statistical analysis

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Examining equity in service use across socioeconomic status in people with dementia

FORWARD TO THE PAST

Clay can help make for tomorrow’s environmentally friendly quantum technologies

A naturally occurring clay material with sought-after properties can be used in quantum technology,

Norwegian University of Science and Technology

image:
Barbara Pacáková and Jon Otto Fossum are part of an international research group that has come up with very interesting results which can help us on the path to new technology. This photo is from SNBL-ESRF Grenoble France.
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Credit: Photo: NTNU/SNBL-ESRF

In the future, quantum technology will become the standard for extremely fast computers. These kinds of machines will be important in everything from space technology to mineral exploration and the development of new medicines.

“Quantum technology is often associated with synthetic materials that have been developed in advanced, completely clean environments,” says Professor Jon Otto Fossum from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU’s) Department of Physics.

But Fossum and colleagues have good news.

A promising material

“We have found a naturally occurring clay material with sought-after properties for use in quantum technology,” says Fossum.

The material is thus both cheap and easily available, straight from nature.

“What we found is essentially a quantum‑active component formed by nature. It is stable, non‑toxic, abundant, and appears in a structure that is already usable—especially exciting in the context of sustainable materials,” says Barbara Pacáková, a researcher at NTNU’s Department of Physics at NTNU.

Three good things at once. And the material is also environmentally friendly.

She is the first author of a paper that has now been published in the Nature journal npj 2D Materials and Applications.

Three things at once

So why is this so promising? Well, the clay material is practically two-dimensional, and in this case, is a semiconductor and is antiferromagnetic. And what does that mean?

Two-dimensional fabrics are fundamentally important when everything is at extremely small scale. Quantum technology is technology at the atomic level and below.
Semiconductors are substances that are good at conducting electricity under some conditions, but are not good at conducting electricity under others. They are widely used in electronics and photonics.
Antiferromagnetic substances are not magnetic in the traditional sense, but they are magnetic nonetheless. They are magnetic in two directions at the same time, and thus they cancel each other out. If you can influence this magnetism, it is useful, yes, really central, in quantum technology.

Three good things at once, in other words. And the material is also environmentally friendly.

A quantum leap in clay

The researchers have called it “a quantum leap in clay”. A quantum leap is technically a very small leap, even though it is used in everyday speech to mean great progress. In this context, it is both.

But even though the material is found in nature, it will still have to be made useful in high-tech environments. It is not just a matter of shovelling the clay directly out of the ground and then using it in quantum computers or in photonics.

“Advanced methods are still needed to extract the material, examine it and find out how it can be used in technology,” says Pacáková.

To study these thin clay layers, researchers have to use specialized equipment in laboratories that is accurate and reliable.

And if the material is going to be used in new products one day, it may still be necessary to have a very clean and controlled environment, such as in a laboratory cleanroom.

Not perfect at room temperature

“The material is also not antiferromagnetic at room temperature. But its characteristics suggest that the material may have an impact on the technology of the future, such as in spintronics, photonics, magnetic sensors and computers that mimic the human brain,” says Fossum.

We don’t just look for flawless materials created in laboratories, but look for natural materials that can also be used.

Fossum heads the Soft and Complex Matter Lab at NTNU, where much of the work on the new material has been carried out.

“Our laboratory has a special approach. We don’t just look for flawless materials created in laboratories, but look for natural materials that can also be used. This allowed us to identify this material,” says Fossum.

International cooperation

The findings are the result of an international partnership led by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), in close collaboration with physicists at the Universidade de São Paulo (USP) in Brazil, the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in Grenoble, France, and Univerzita Karlova in Prague, Czech Republic. www.softcomlab.com

The NTNU team consists of six researchers. Four are women who are early in their careers. Fossum and Pacáková say these results show the importance of supporting up-and-coming researchers through mentor programmes such as NTNU offers

“Not only are these exciting, scientific results. It shows what talented researchers can achieve early on when they are only given the opportunity,” Fossum and Pacáková said.

Reference: Pacakova, B., Lahtinen-Dahl, B., Kirch, A. et al. Naturally occurring 2D semiconductor with antiferromagnetic ground state. npj 2D Mater Appl 9, 38 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41699-025-00561-5

Journal

npj 2D Materials and Applications

DOI

10.1038/s41699-025-00561-5

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Naturally occurring 2D semiconductor with antiferromagnetic ground state

Article Publication Date

19-May-2025

Common drugs can help viruses spread

A surprising and unfortunate side effect of some anti-inflammatory drugs

Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Drugs are supposed to help us get rid of disease, or at least alleviate the symptoms of them. It is therefore particularly unfortunate when, on the contrary, the drugs can contribute to making us sicker. Many medications can have side effects, but some are particularly serious.

“We have found a surprising and potentially serious side effect of a class of anti-inflammatory drugs. They can help viruses spread more easily in the body,” says Denis Kainov, a professor at the Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).

Influenza, COVID-19 and other viruses spread more easily

These drugs, which can make the body extra vulnerable to viral infections, are widely used. They are known as Janus kinase inhibitors, or JAKs.

“Among the viruses that more easily affect the body with the help of these drugs are Rift Valley fever virus, influenza A, adenovirus and SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19,” Kainov says.

These are both serious and common viral infections that can be bad enough without the inadvertent help of medications.

Drugs used for autoimmune diseases and arthritis

In a new article in NAR Molecular Medicine, Kainov and colleagues describe how the drugs can promote viral infections.

“JAK inhibitors are often prescribed for autoimmune diseases and inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis,” says Erlend Ravlo, a PhD research fellow at NTNU and first author of the article.

But they also weaken the body’s natural defences against viruses.

“In particular, the drugs suppress an important immune signalling pathway that helps protect healthy cells from viral attacks,” Ravlo said.

Inhibits important gene response against viruses

The researchers found that drugs such as baricitinib slow down the genes that respond to viral infections.

“These genes play a crucial role in the body’s response to viral infections,” said Aleksandr Ianevski, an NTNU researcher and coauthor of the new paper.

By stopping or slowing down this signalling pathway, JAK inhibitors remove the body’s antiviral shield. Then viruses can more easily gain a foothold and spread.

The researchers used advanced techniques in virology, organoid technology and gene expression analysis. They examined cells from the lungs, eyes and brain, as well as in laboratory-created mini-organs.

“Although JAK inhibitors are effective in the treatment of inflammation, this shows that they can pose a hidden risk for patients who have latent or active viral infections,” says Ravlo.

Can be useful to know during the development of medications

The findings suggest that healthcare professionals should be cautious when prescribing JAK inhibitors, especially during viral outbreaks.

But the researchers point out that this immunosuppressive effect may also be useful in controlled environments, such as in the development of vaccines or screening of antiviral drugs.

The researchers hope to increase awareness among doctors and researchers about the effects of these drugs.

“We recommend further studies to better understand how the drugs can be used optimally, especially during virus outbreaks or pandemics,” says Ianevski.

Professor Magnar Bjørås at the Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine contributed important professional knowledge and most of the funding of the research. The study was also funded by the Central Norway Regional Health Authority, the South-Eastern Norway Regional Health Authority, the Research Council of Norway and the Swedish Research Council.

Referanse: Erlend Ravlo, Aleksandr Ianevski, Marius Nårstad Skipperstøen, Hilde Lysvand, Jørn-Ove Schjølberg, Ole Solheim, Wei Wang, Miroslava Kissova, Marthe Vestvik, Olli Vapalahti, Teemu Smura, Hanna Vauhkonen, Valentyn Oksenych, Friedemann Weber, Mårten Strand, Magnus Evander, Janne Fossum Malmring, Jan Egil Afset, Magnar Bjørås, Denis E Kainov, JAK inhibitors remove innate immune barriers facilitating viral propagation, NAR Molecular Medicine, 2025;, ugaf017, https://doi.org/10.1093/narmme/ugaf017

Journal

NAR Molecular Medicine

DOI

10.1093/narmme/ugaf017

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Cells

Article Title

JAK inhibitors remove innate immune barriers facilitating viral propagation

Article Publication Date

20-May-2025

Global study maps where nature’s services fall short—and why

Chinese Society for Environmental Sciences

image:
Visualizing the Forces Behind Ecosystem Service Mismatches.
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Credit: Environmental Science and Ecotechnology

As environmental pressures intensify, the delicate balance between what nature provides and what humanity consumes is under growing threat. A new global study offers the first high-resolution, pixel-level view of how the supply-demand relationships of four essential ecosystem services—food production, carbon sequestration, soil conservation, and water yield—have shifted over the past two decades. The findings paint a complex picture: while some regions enjoy an ecological surplus, others—particularly when it comes to carbon storage and water availability—face growing shortfalls. The study points to climate change and human activities as the key, intertwined forces reshaping this balance.

Ecosystem services are the lifelines of human society, underpinning everything from food security to climate regulation. Yet, their ability to keep pace with rising demand is faltering. Geographic and temporal mismatches between supply and demand are becoming more pronounced, threatening sustainable development. While past studies have explored these dynamics at local or national scales, the lack of global, long-term assessments has left a major knowledge gap. Furthermore, the individual and combined effects of climate variability and human intervention remain poorly understood. Due to these pressing gaps, a systematic global analysis is urgently needed to clarify the patterns and drivers of ecological mismatches.

A team of researchers from Nanjing Agricultural University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences has conducted the first pixel-level global assessment of ecosystem service supply–demand (ESSD) trends. Published (DOI: 10.1016/j.ese.2025.100573) on May 3, 2025, in Environmental Science and Ecotechnology, the study tracked changes from 2000 to 2020 using satellite data and multi-model coupling. It offers a detailed look at how climate change and human activity—separately and together—affect the global balance of four critical services, providing fresh insights for sustainable ecosystem governance.

The study reveals that, overall, ecosystem services are trending toward surplus—particularly food production and soil conservation. Yet this is not a cause for complacency. Alarming deficits are growing for carbon sequestration and water yield, especially in densely populated or industrialized zones. Spatial analysis uncovered - patterns of pattern of supply-demand mismatch: areas rich in natural resources but with sparse populations, such as remote forests and grasslands, often exhibited high supply but low demand. Meanwhile, regions with urban sprawl or rapid population growth—like sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Asia—faced the opposite problem. The main culprits vary by service: human activities drive mismatches in food production and carbon sequestration, while precipitation and temperature shifts—linked to climate change—are more influential in soil conservation and water yield. In fact, 80.69% of regions saw improved food supply due to these combined impact, while 76.74% suffered declines in carbon storage. A particularly revealing finding was the spatial complementarity: where one force wanes, the other waxes. These insights, derived from fine-grained (1×1 km) global data, empower decision-makers to target local solutions for a global problem.

“Pinpointing where and why nature's services fall short is crucial for smart policy,” said Dr. Wei Wu, corresponding author of the study. “Our findings show that it's not a matter of climate versus human activity—it's about their interaction. Recognizing this dual influence is key to crafting effective land-use and conservation strategies in an era of accelerating change.”

This study lays a strategic foundation for navigating ecological mismatches in a warming, crowded world. By revealing where and why mismatches occur, and identifying their dominant drivers, the research offers concrete tools for policymakers and conservationists. For example, regions with declining water yield may require investments in climate-resilient infrastructure, while areas with food shortfalls might need shifts in agricultural zoning. The authors also call for future research to incorporate more nuanced indicators of human demand and distinguish between types of human activity. Such refinements will enable more precise, targeted management of ecosystem services—ensuring that nature continues to sustain society in the decades to come.

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References

DOI

10.1016/j.ese.2025.100573

Original Source URL

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ese.2025.100573

Funding information

This work was supported by the Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research Program (No. 2019QZKK0406), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 42371276), and the Ministry of Science and Technology of China (No. G20200010086, No. DL2021145002L).

About Environmental Science and Ecotechnology

Environmental Science and Ecotechnology (ISSN 2666-4984) is an international, peer-reviewed, and open-access journal published by Elsevier. The journal publishes significant views and research across the full spectrum of ecology and environmental sciences, such as climate change, sustainability, biodiversity conservation, environment & health, green catalysis/processing for pollution control, and AI-driven environmental engineering. The latest impact factor of ESE is 14, according to the Journal Citation ReportTM 2024.

Journal

Environmental Science and Ecotechnology

DOI

10.1016/j.ese.2025.100573

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Global mismatch between ecosystem service supply and demand driven by climate change and human activity

Article Publication Date

19-May-2025