BAN DEEP SEA MINING & TRAWLING

Researchers reveal how supergiant deep-sea isopods survive years without food

Chinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters

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Deep-sea supergiant isopod

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Credit: Prof. LI Xinzheng

The supergiant bathynomid is a deep-sea isopod famous for surviving more than five years without food. Despite residing in an extremely low-nutrient habitat, these organisms exhibit pronounced body gigantism, a trait that requires substantial energy. This raises an energy paradox: How do these apparently energy-hungry isopods sustain their enormous size given the sporadic availability of food in the deep sea?

To answer this question, a research team from the Institute of Oceanology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IOCAS) has uncovered the mechanisms enabling these deep-sea supergiants to thrive under extreme nutritional constraints.

By combining multi-omics analyses with functional assays, the researchers discovered that deep-sea isopods have a dual survival strategy to cope with nutrient-poor (oligotrophic) conditions: an enlarged stomach that can store large amounts of food and an extremely low basal metabolic rate (BMR).

The findings were published in Cell on June 5.

For their study, the researchers analyzed two isopod species from different depths: Bathynomus jamesi from approximately 898 meters and Bathynomus doederleini from around 300 meters. By integrating comparative genomics with morphological, physiological, behavioral, and metagenomic analyses, they revealed a strategy of "increasing revenue and reducing expenditure" for coping with food-limited conditions.

The stomach of deep-sea isopods occupies about two-thirds of their entire body, far larger than that of their shallower-water or intertidal relatives. When fully filled with food, the stomach contains a finely ground, extensively digested, mud-like mixture that involves a relatively low proportion of digestive bacteria such as Firmicutes. Instead, it is enriched with Chlamydiae, which are associated with lipid storage. These features suggest that deep-sea isopods may consume large amounts of food when feeding opportunities arise and then drastically reduce their BMR, allowing these food reserves to be digested and utilized over extended periods.

The researchers also identified a horizontally transferred gene, ND1, that originated from an exogenous symbiotic bacterium and was subsequently integrated into the isopod genome. This gene, which is homologous to a component of Complex I in the electron transport chain, is hypothesized to play a critical role in energy metabolism. As an exogenously acquired gene, ND1 appears to overcome certain limitations of horizontal gene transfer by being able to undergo post-transfer duplication and achieve ultra-high expression.

Moreover, the researchers discovered a gene expression regulation mechanism in deep-sea isopods that achieves "high efficiency, energy conservation, and precise control" via epigenetic modification of histones. The ultra-high expression of ND1 is specifically regulated by histone acetylation.

To test the gene's function, the researchers introduced ND1 into zebrafish, nematodes, and human 293T cells. The results showed that ND1 accelerated energy metabolism at normal temperatures, making the organisms less tolerant of starvation. However, under low-temperature conditions (which simulate the deep-sea environment), ND1 knock-in effectively suppressed energy metabolism and reduced mitochondrial activity. This increased starvation tolerance in zebrafish by 37%.

These results indicate that ND1 modulates the mitochondrial metabolic network by fine-tuning the degree of metabolic depression, thereby resolving the fundamental trade-off between the high energy demand of gigantism and the need for metabolic suppression in extreme environments.

This study reveals for the first time a novel evolutionary strategy in which deep‑sea megafauna reprogram their energy allocation through a combination of horizontal gene transfer and epigenetic optimization.

"Our work not only deciphers the mystery of ultra-long starvation tolerance in deep-sea isopods," said YUAN Jianbo, first author of the study, "but also provides an important paradigm for understanding how life balances growth and survival in extreme environments."

 

Mechanism diagram showing the survival strategy and horizontally acquired energy metabolism-related gene in reprogramming energy allocation in deep-sea isopods

Credit

YUAN Jianbo, et al.

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Journal

Cell

DOI

10.1016/j.cell.2026.05.012 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

Deep-sea megafauna co-opts microbial energy metabolism genes to withstand ultra-long starvation

Article Publication Date

5-Jun-2026

 

An exploration study on the relationship between chronological and perceived age in Chinese women with systematic validation of a new method for perceived age determination

Journal of Dermatologic Science and Cosmetic Technology

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An exploration study on the relationship between chronological and perceived age in Chinese women with systematic validation of a new method for perceived age determination

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Credit: This infographic is free to use in connection with this story if credited to "Beiersdorf Innovation Center Shangha"

This study enrolled 308 Chinese women aged 15–65 years to explore the relationship between chronological age, perceived age, and facial aging manifestations. Participants underwent expert assessment of aging features, standardized facial image acquisition, and perceived-age evaluation based on photographs by non-expert assessors. The study further collected information on the facial characteristics and regions influencing age perception and grouped participants according to the difference between perceived and chronological age. Results showed that Chinese women were perceived to be, on average, 1.6 years older than their actual age. Visible aging features showed strong correlations with perceived age, similar to their associations with chronological age. Nasolabial folds, marionette folds, facial contour tightness, skin evenness, and radiance emerged as major determinants of age perception. The study also identified age-specific patterns of aging features, supporting the use of perceived age as a practical endpoint for evaluating anti-aging products and designing targeted skincare strategies.

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Journal

Journal of Dermatologic Science and Cosmetic Technology

DOI

10.1016/j.jdsct.2026.100148 

Method of Research

Observational study

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

An exploration study on the relationship between chronological and perceived age in Chinese women with systematic validation of a new method for perceived age determination

COI Statement

This study was financially supported by the Beiersdorf Innovation Center Shanghai. The authors report employment by the Beiersdorf Innovation Center Shanghai.

 

Technology used to monitor conservation efforts at Rome's Colosseum will be used at the Ipiranga Museum

The project, which was presented during FAPESP Week London, will use 3D laser scanning to create a digital model of the renovated building and establish an information management system for preventive maintenance.

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

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FAU-USP professor Beatriz Kuhl: “Depending on how the scanning is done, there can be many inaccuracies. If it’s very well planned with a high degree of consistency, it yields precise results.” 

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Credit: Elton Alisson/Agência FAPESP

The same three-dimensional laser scanning technology used to monitor the Colosseum in Rome, Italy will be used in a conservation project at the Ipiranga Museum in São Paulo, Brazil. Beatriz Kuhl, a professor at the University of São Paulo’s Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism (FAU-USP), presented the initiative, which is scheduled to begin in July, during FAPESP Week London, held June 2–4 in the British capital.

The project involves a complete scan of the museum, inside and out. The goal is to analyze the behavior of the building following the restoration work carried out in recent years, establish a monitoring system, and, most importantly, create an information management model for preventive conservation purposes based on the HBIM (Historic Building Information Modeling) methodology. HBIM is a 3D modeling process for historic buildings and sites that reproduces all the physical and functional characteristics of the structure within a three-dimensional digital simulation. It integrates technologies, processes, data, people, and the history of the building.

“The idea is to feed an HBIM system with data from a specific area of the museum and then manage information about its conservation processes," Kuhl explained to Agência FAPESP.

Built between 1885 and 1890, the museum spent a decade closed to the public and resumed activities in September 2022 (read more at: agencia.fapesp.br/39578).

The DIAPReM laboratory at the University of Ferrara in Italy will carry out the technical execution of the scanning. This is the same team that recently completed the scanning of the Colosseum. The partnership between the Italian group, FAU-USP researchers, and the Center for Cultural Preservation at USP (CPC-USP) has existed for several years. The same team scanned the FAU-USP building, which was designed by Vilanova Artigas. They are now returning to the Ipiranga Museum to document the condition of the monument following restoration.

The continuity of the partnership is strategic. “To have truly comparable data, it’s essential to use the same methodology and reference points,” Kuhl stated. “Depending on how the scanning is done, there can be many inaccuracies. If it’s very well planned with a high degree of consistency, it yields precise results.”

Periodic scanning

A shoe box-sized, portable equipment emits laser beams that map the geometric coordinates of every point on the interior and exterior surfaces of the building with millimeter precision. In addition to geometry, the scanner captures reflectance data, which is the percentage of emitted light that returns to the sensor. This percentage varies depending on the material encountered, its moisture content, or the presence of mold.

This variation allows anomalies to be identified. “When we detect a point that differs from its neighbor and should be identical, we can ask whether that indicates some pathological condition,” Kuhl explained. The resulting data form a dense point cloud that serves as both a geometric record of the building and a means of diagnosing structural and conservation issues.

The scanning will be performed periodically without interfering with the operations of the museum. “A scanner will operate inside and outside the museum from time to time. The museum will absolutely not be closed, nor will its routine be altered,” the researcher assured.

Preventive conservation

The Ipiranga Museum project is part of a broader line of research that Kuhl has been developing for years at FAU-USP. This research focuses on preventive conservation, which aims to anticipate and avoid problems before they require costly and invasive interventions.

A previous project, funded by the Getty Foundation as part of the Keeping It Modern program, investigated the state of conservation of the FAU-USP building. The project generated recommendations that influenced specific renovations, such as a new roof waterproofing system and an access ramp to the building. However, Kuhl acknowledges that changing the culture of public heritage maintenance remains challenging.

“We’re still unable to act preventively because there’s a large backlog to address,” she admitted. “But this new research aims precisely to achieve that goal: to anticipate and avoid more invasive interventions.”

Kuhl believes that the Brazilian experience can benefit from established international references, such as the Casa de Rui Barbosa in Rio de Janeiro, where a systematic policy of preventive conservation was successfully implemented in the first two decades of this century.

On the theoretical side, the professor’s research group will engage in critical reflection on advanced diagnostic methods and their relationship with conceptual issues in conservation and the development of conservation plans. “These are two things that create tension and help us see problems in a different light,” she concluded.

 

Ipiranga Museum's integrated digital model: project starting in July will perform the full scanning on the interior and the exterior of the historic building

Credit

Ipiranga Digital

More information about FAPESP Week London is available at fapesp.br/week/2026/london.

About São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP)
The São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) is a public institution with the mission of supporting scientific research in all fields of knowledge by awarding scholarships, fellowships and grants to investigators linked with higher education and research institutions in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. FAPESP is aware that the very best research can only be done by working with the best researchers internationally. Therefore, it has established partnerships with funding agencies, higher education, private companies, and research organizations in other countries known for the quality of their research and has been encouraging scientists funded by its grants to further develop their international collaboration. You can learn more about FAPESP at www.fapesp.br/en and visit FAPESP news agency at www.agencia.fapesp.br/en to keep updated with the latest scientific breakthroughs FAPESP helps achieve through its many programs, awards and research centers. You may also subscribe to FAPESP news agency at http://agencia.fapesp.br/subscribe

WORD OF THE DAY (WOTD)

The role of insects in the diet of our ancestors revealed

A study by the Institute of Evolutionary Biology (IBE: CSIC-UPF) sheds light on the history of entomophagy in human populations

Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)

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Mealworm beetles (Tenebrio molitor) preserved in the entomological collection of Ehime University, Japan

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Credit: Juan Manuel Calvo Martin

In recent years, human population growth, coupled with the climate crisis, environmental pressures, and current production and consumption patterns, has driven the search for alternative food sources. With 1,611 insect species listed as edible, organizations such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have proposed insects as a sustainable food source. However, despite the fact that hundreds of millions of people already consume them, Western societies continue to show aversion to entomophagy. While this rejection may have a cultural basis, its origin remains unknown.

To explore its roots, a study by the Institute of Evolutionary Biology (IBE), a joint centre of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), has used genomic analyses to reconstruct insect consumption over the past thousands of years. The research, published in Science Advances, suggests that insect consumption was sporadic and accidental in Europe, Central and East Asia, while it would have been more frequent in tropical regions and among Neanderthal populations. The results shed light on human evolution, ecology, and current insect consumption.

Genomic analysis reconstructs the history of entomophagy in Eurasia

To find evidence of insect consumption, the IBE team analyzed 745 samples of dental calculus (tartar) from anatomically modern humans, dating back up to 33,000 years. Tartar preserves traces of DNA from the species regularly consumed in the diet. The dental analyses suggest that modern humans in northern Eurasia did not routinely practice entomophagy. The team also studied the human genes involved in the digestion of chitin, a component of the insect exoskeleton. In North Eurasian human populations, chitinase genes carry mutations that confer a reduced capacity to digest insect exoskeletons, a trait that has persisted for the last 9,000 years, since the advent of agriculture.

“The scarce presence of insects in the diet of northern Eurasians suggests that the absence of entomophagy is not solely due to recent cultural factors, but also to a long ecological and evolutionary history”, says Pablo Librado, principal investigator at the IBE who led the study.

Neanderthals may have consumed insects more frequently

Despite inhabiting the same environment, Neanderthals had a greater abundance of insect DNA in their dental calculus than anatomically modern humans. These levels in Neanderthals are comparable to those found in western chimpanzees, which rely on entomophagy to supplement their diet on the savanna, especially during periods of drought.

The most abundant DNA remains in Neanderthal tartar belong to Diptera, the insect group that includes flies and mosquitoes, with the latter being particularly prominent. These findings support a recent hypothesis about the regular consumption of animal carcasses infested with fly larvae. The abundance of mosquito remains reinforces the possibility that the carcasses of their prey were kept in ponds and marshy areas, where mosquitoes lay their eggs.

The study also revealed that Neanderthal chitinase genes facilitate better digestion of insects, as also observed in the only Denisovan specimen analyzed.

The genetic imprint of entomophagy persists in tropical populations

The team analyzed genes linked to the digestion of insect exoskeleton chitin. These genes are expressed in the stomach and encode the enzymes chitinase acid (CHIA) and chitobiase (CTBS). In both ancient and modern samples, the researchers identified genetic variants associated with a greater expression of these enzymes in populations inhabiting areas near the tropics.

“Large quantities of insects need to be ingested to compensate for the high caloric expenditure involved in their collection. In the tropics, there is a greater availability of social insects, such as termites and locusts: their biomass and diversity allow for sustainable exploitation throughout the year, which even contributes to pest control”, explains Manuel Piñero, a predoctoral researcher at the IBE and first author of the study.

The expression of these enzymes gradually decreased as populations moved towards higher latitudes. This latitudinal genetic variation, maintained for at least 9,000 years, reflects the abandonment of entomophagy in European populations.

The future of entomophagy in Europe

“Beyond cultural or religious factors, our results suggest that the reduced availability of insects in non-tropical areas may have been a key factor in the abandonment of entomophagy, leading to a reduced capacity to digest insect exoskeletons”, Librado comments.

However, modern industrial processing allows us to take advantage of the nutritional properties of the food source without needing to digest this component, in addition to allowing its mass production in edible insect farms.

The Ancient Population Genomics research group led by Pablo Librado at the IBE studies the domestication process, using insect species recently approved for human consumption as a model and by comparing the genomes of farmed insects with the genomes of pre-domestication individuals extracted from entomological collections. “We investigate the evolution of domestication in animals, which also gives us information to improve the exploitation of insects for consumption, both as animal feed and for human consumption”, Librado concludes.

CSIC Comunicación

comunicacion@csic.es 

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Journal

Science Advances

DOI

10.1126/sciadv.aec6939 

Method of Research

News article

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Genomic evidence for limited entomophagy in ancient Europeans

Article Publication Date

5-Jun-2026

 

More people with disabilities are seeking work in the US  

nTIDE June 2026 Jobs Report

Kessler Foundation

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From April 2026 to May 2026, the employment-to-population ratio decreased from 37.9 to 37.8 percent for people with disabilities and increased from 74.9 to 75.0 percent for people without disabilities. The labor force participation rate increased from 41.1 to 42.0 percent for people with disabilities and increased from 77.9 to 78.0 percent for people without disabilities.

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Credit: Kessler Foundation

The June 2026 National Trends in Disability Employment (nTIDE) report reveals a large increase in job seeking among people with disabilities, signaling that more individuals are entering the labor force as economic pressure intensifies. This finding aligns with last month’s nTIDE forecast that rising prices would push more people with disabilities to seek employment, while progress in employment access continues.

Issued monthly by Kessler Foundation and the University of New Hampshire’s Institute on Disability, nTIDE tracks how broader economic conditions affect employment trends for people with and without disabilities.

Based on data from today’s BLS Jobs Report and separate nTIDE analysis, the employment-to-population ratio for people with disabilities (ages 16-64) decreased slightly from 37.9 percent in April 2026 to 37.8 percent in May 2026 (down 0.3 percent or 0.1 percentage points). For people without disabilities (ages 16-64), the employment-to-population ratio increased from 74.9 percent in April 2026 to 75.0 percent in May 2026 (up 0.1 percent or 0.1 percentage points). The employment-to-population ratio, a key indicator, is the percentage of people who are working relative to the total population (the number of people working divided by the total population, then multiplied by 100).

In contrast, the labor force participation rate for people with disabilities increased from 41.1 percent in April 2026 to 42.0 percent in May 2026 (up 2.2 percent or 0.9 percentage points). For people without disabilities, the labor force participation rate increased from 77.9 percent in April 2026 to 78.0 percent in May 2026 (up 0.1 percent or 0.1 percentage points). The labor force participation rate reflects the percentage of people who are in the labor force (working, on temporary layoff, on furlough, or actively looking for work in the last four weeks) relative to the total population (the number of people in the labor force divided by the number of people in the total population multiplied by 100).

“The labor force participation rate increased substantially while the employment-to-population ratio decreased slightly for people with disabilities. Taken together, these data suggest that more people with disabilities are entering the labor force and actively looking for work,” said Andrew Houtenville, PhD, professor of economics and director of the UNH-IOD. “This pattern is consistent with what we expect during inflationary periods, when people seek work to help offset rising prices and cover basic needs for themselves and their families. According to the most recent Annual Report on People with Disabilities in America, people with disabilities are more than twice as likely to live in families with incomes below the poverty line, making higher costs even more perilous for these households.”

Compared with the same time last year, the employment-to-population ratio for people with disabilities   decreased from 38.0 percent in May 2025 to 37.8 percent in May 2026 (down 0.5 percent or 0.2 percentage points). For people without disabilities, the employment-to-population ratio increased from 74.8 percent in May 2025 to 75.0 percent in May 2026 (up 0.3 percent or 0.2 percentage points).

The labor force participation rate for people with disabilities (ages 16-64) increased from 41.4 percent in May 2025 to 42.0 percent in May 2026 (up 1.4 percent or 0.6 percentage points). For people without disabilities (ages 16-64), the labor force participation rate also increased from 77.8 percent in May 2025 to 78.0 percent in May 2026 (up 0.3 percent or 0.2 percentage points).

In May, among workers ages 16-64, the 6,484,000 workers with disabilities represented 4.3 percent of the total 151,316,000 workers in the U.S.

Ask Questions about Disability and Employment
On the same day nTIDE is issued, the team hosts an nTIDE Lunch and Learn webinar. This live Zoom broadcast gives attendees a chance to ask questions about the latest findings, hear news and updates from the field, and learn from invited panelists who discuss current disability-related research and events.

On June 5, 2026, guest presenters Vicki Phillips, Mental Health Association in Atlantic County, and Donald Campbell, Atlantic Center for Independent Living, Principal at Unlock Access, joins Dr. Houtenville, and Shoshana Marin, Policy Fellow at the Association of University Centers on Disabilities. Visit the nTIDE archives at ResearchonDisability.org/nTIDE to see a recording of this nTIDE Lunch and Learn episode.

About National Trends in Disability Employment (nTIDE)
nTIDE is a joint effort of Kessler Foundation and the University of New Hampshire’s Institute on Disability. The nTIDE team tracks employment trends for people with and without disabilities, issuing monthly reports that reflect the impact of economic changes on the workforce. These reports use data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics but are customized by UNH-IOD to focus on working-age adults (ages 16 to 64). nTIDE is funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR; 90RTGE0005) and Kessler Foundation.

About the Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire
The Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire, founded in 1987, seeks to expand access and opportunity for people with disabilities in ways that strengthen communities locally and nationally. As part of a Carnegie Classification R1 university, the IOD accelerates disability inclusion through research, education, and collaboration. Its Center for Research on Disability delivers trusted analysis and tools that make disability data more accessible and actionable.

About Kessler Foundation
Kessler Foundation, founded in 1985, is a New Jersey-based nonprofit and global leader in rehabilitation research committed to changing the lives of people with disabilities. By conducting groundbreaking research, Kessler Foundation advances recovery and fosters independence to build a more inclusive and accessible world.

Our team of award-winning scientists develop and test novel interventions to transform care and optimize mobility, cognition, and quality of life for people with traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, stroke, multiple sclerosis, autism, and other neurological and developmental disabilities. By analyzing community and workforce participation, developing evidence-based solutions, and funding impactful community initiatives that expand employment opportunities, Kessler Foundation also addresses barriers to inclusion for people with disabilities.

Powered by a dedicated team of over 175 professionals funded by federal and state grants and private philanthropy, Kessler Foundation is redefining what is possible in rehabilitation care and recovery. For more information, visit kesslerfoundation.org.