From molecules to oceans: the new HFSP Science Digest explores biology's next frontiers

The Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) has released the fourth edition of its HFSP Science Digest, a 60-page compendium highlighting the creativity and global reach of HFSP-supported frontier research

Human Frontier Science Program

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The new HFSP Science Digest edition looks at life across many scales, from the smallest molecular assemblies to the vast complexity of ocean ecosystems.

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Credit: HFSP

STRASBOURG, France, 31 October 2025 — The Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) has released the fourth edition of its HFSP Science Digest, a 60-page compendium highlighting the creativity and global reach of HFSP-supported frontier research. Featuring the work of 89 scientists, including 19 HFSP Fellows and 70 members of HFSP Research Grant teams, research in this year's edition looks at life across many scales, from the smallest molecular assemblies to the vast complexity of ocean ecosystems.

Among its central themes, this year’s edition explores one of the most vital intersections of our time: the link between basic life science and medicine. It features studies that illuminate the inner workings of diseases, immunity, and brain and gut health, underscoring how curiosity-driven research often yields insights with profound medical relevance. Among these is a special article on the biology of sleep, "Illuminating the Brain's Nighttime Choreography, and the Cost of Disrupted Sleep," which brings together multiple HFSP-supported teams exploring one of the most universal yet least understood processes in human life. From modeling the molecular mechanisms that regulate our circadian rhythms to mapping the neural circuits of social behavior during adolescence, these studies reveal that sleep is far more than rest; it is an active, dynamic state crucial for memory, learning, mental health, and even social development. In tracing these connections, the HFSP Science Digest emphasizes that understanding the brain's nighttime rhythms may hold the key to preventing diseases linked to modern lifestyles and disrupted biological clocks.

The 2024 edition also introduces a section dedicated to marine organisms and ecosystems, broadening the perspective of frontier research to include the delicate and dynamic systems that sustain life on Earth. Research on corals, sea anemones, and deep-sea organisms, emphasizes HFSP’s commitment to marine biology and support for scientists that are analyzing the rhythms, resilience, and evolution of life. Oceans cover over 70% of our planet's surface, and marine organisms represent more than 95% of the biosphere. The Digest highlights how exploring these marine frontiers can illuminate fundamental principles of biology and shed light on the consequences of biodiversity loss and climate change.

“Here, integration becomes a key concept”, comments Guntram Bauer, Chief Scientific Officer of HFSP. “Only by linking insights across scales can we begin to understand how biological processes interact at system level. This also demands a continued commitment to support interdisciplinary research and think even more broadly to address global problems, such as climate change, by integrating social and behavioral sciences”.

The HFSP Science Digest reflects HFSP's mission to support bold, interdisciplinary research at the frontiers of the life sciences. The featured projects exemplify the power of collaboration across borders, disciplines, and generations, the kind of ambitious research that HFSP has championed for over three decades.

The full HFSP Science Digest is available online. Hard copies can be requested at communications@hfsp.org 

 

 

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The Human Frontier Science Program was founded in 1989 by G7 nations and the European Commission to advance international research and training at the frontier of the life sciences. Its aims are to promote intercontinental collaboration and training in cutting-edge, interdisciplinary research focused on the life sciences. HFSP receives financial support from the governments or research councils of Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, the UK, the USA, as well as from the European Commission. Since 1990, more than 8,500 researchers from more than 70 countries have been supported. Of these, 31 HFSP awardees have gone on to win the Nobel Prize.

 

Remission achievable for 1 in 3 Indian diabetics through intensive app-based lifestyle program

Across 2,384 Indian adults with type 2 diabetes, 31% achieved remission through a comprehensive mobile-based program combining diet, exercise, stress management, and medical support

PLOS

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Type 2 diabetes remission and its predictors in an Indian cohort.

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Credit: Dr. Pramod Tripathi, CC-BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Nearly one-third of people with type 2 diabetes (T2D) in an Indian cohort achieved remission through an intensive lifestyle intervention program, according to a new study publishing October 22, 2025, in the open-access journal PLOS One by Pramod Tripathi of Freedom from Diabetes Clinic & Diabetes Research Foundation, India, and colleagues.

Type 2 diabetes affects more than 72 million people in India. While lifestyle interventions have shown promise for diabetes management in Western populations, limited data exists on their effectiveness in India, where genetic and lifestyle factors place the population at higher risk.

In the new study, researchers analyzed data from 2,384 adults with T2D who enrolled in a one-year online intensive lifestyle intervention program at the Freedom from Diabetes Clinic in India between May 2021 and August 2023. The intervention, provided by a six-member care team through a mobile application, included a personalized plant-based diet, structured physical activity, group therapy and individual psychological counseling, and medication management.

Overall, 744 participants (31.2%) achieved diabetes remission, defined as maintaining glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels below 48 mmol/mol for at least three months without glucose-lowering medications. The remission group showed significantly greater improvements than the non-remission group in weight (8.5% vs. 5.2% reduction), body mass index (8.6% vs. 5.2% reduction), HbA1c (15.3% vs. 12.4% reduction), fasting insulin (26.6% vs. 11.4% reduction), and insulin resistance (37.3% vs. 19.7% reduction). People under 50 years of age, with higher BMI, no prior medication use, and a shorter duration of diabetes (<6 years) were most likely to achieve remission. 

The study was limited by its retrospective design and lack of a control group. Because the program required a subscription and participants who lacked follow up data were excluded from the analysis, there may have been selection biases. However, the authors conclude that a significant proportion of individuals with T2D can achieve remission through a comprehensive, culturally adapted lifestyle program.

The authors add: “Our research demonstrates that nearly one-third of individuals with type 2 diabetes can achieve remission through a scientifically designed, culturally tailored, and structured lifestyle intervention. This represents the first large-scale evidence from India highlighting the potential of intensive lifestyle modification in achieving type 2 diabetes remission.”

 

 

In your coverage, please use this URL to provide access to the freely available article in PLOS One: http://plos.io/4nERyVq

Citation: Tripathi P, Kadam N, Kathrikolly T, Tiwari D, Vyawahare A, Sharma B, et al. (2025) Type 2 diabetes remission and its predictors in an Indian cohort: A retrospective analysis of an intensive lifestyle intervention program. PLoS One 20(10): e0333114. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0333114

Author countries: India

Funding: The author(s) received no specific funding for this work.

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Journal

PLOS One

DOI

10.1371/journal.pone.0333114 

Method of Research

Observational study

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Type 2 diabetes remission and its predictors in an Indian cohort: A retrospective analysis of an intensive lifestyle intervention program

Article Publication Date

22-Oct-2025

 

Gut parasites identified from feces of ancient Mexican people

Modern analysis of DNA in 1,000-year-old dried feces provides clues to ancient intestinal disease

Peer-Reviewed Publication

PLOS

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Desiccated fecal material from the Cave of the Dead Children.

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Credit: Johnica Winter, CC-BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

DNA within dried feces dating from more than 1,000 years ago provides valuable insights into the pathogens that plagued ancient Mexican peoples, according to a study published October 22, 2025 in the open-access journal PLOS One by Drew Capone of Indiana University, U.S., and colleagues.

Ancient feces are a valuable source of information on the intestinal parasites of past populations. Microbial DNA is known to survive in stool samples, but analysis of ancient feces has historically been limited by the degradation of DNA over time. In this study, Capone and colleagues apply the most refined and sensitive fecal analysis techniques to ten samples of human feces from the Cave of the Dead Children (La Cueva de Los Muertos Chiquitos) in Mexico, dating between 1,100 and 1,300 years old.

The study identified genetic signatures of a diverse array of gut parasites. Many of these, including the protozoan Blastocystis and multiple strains of bacterial E. coli, have never before been detected in ancient feces. Some pathogens, including pinworm, were especially prevalent, being present in the majority of samples.

This study offers proof-of-concept for using state-of-the-art DNA analysis to identify intestinal parasites of past human populations. The fact that some of these pathogens are human-specific, including pinworm and Shigella, also supports these analyses as a method of distinguishing human feces from the waste of other species.

The high prevalence of gut parasites in this sample might indicate that intestinal infections and poor sanitation were common among the Loma San Gabriel people who lived in the region at the time. However, the authors note that this is a limited study, analyzing only ten samples and targeting a restricted list of well-studied pathogens. Future research on larger samples will be able to provide a more complete assessment of the pathogens plaguing ancient cultures.

Joe Brown adds: “There is a lot of potential in the application of modern molecular methods to inform studies of the past. Highly sensitive and specific targeted assays can complement sequencing approaches when specific targets are of interest. We look forward to continuing this collaborative work to better understand the presence and movement of pathogens in ancient samples." 

Drew Capone adds: “Working with these ancient samples was like opening a biological time capsule, with each one revealing insight into human health and daily life from over a thousand years ago.”

In your coverage, please use this URL to provide access to the freely available article in PLOS One: http://plos.io/4mUfPFQ

Citation: Capone D, Holcomb D, Lai A, Meade T, Reinhard K, Brown J (2025) Targeted pathogen profiling of ancient feces reveals common enteric infections in the Rio Zape Valley, 725–920 CE. PLoS One 20(10): e0318140. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0318140

Author countries: U.S.

Funding: D.C. was supported in part by a National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences T32 Fellowship (5T32ES007018). The authors declare no competing financial interest. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. There was no additional external funding received for this study.

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Journal

PLOS One

DOI

10.1371/journal.pone.0318140 

Method of Research

Observational study

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Targeted pathogen profiling of ancient feces reveals common enteric infections in the Rio Zape Valley, 725–920 CE

Article Publication Date

22-Oct-2025

2025 Cmolik–SFU grant program awards $150,000 to innovative projects in BC schools

Simon Fraser University

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Tens of thousands of B.C. public school students are embarking on new tech-based projects thanks to $150,000 from Simon Fraser University aimed at transforming classroom experience.

The 2025 Cmolik–SFU Grant Program supports classroom, school, and district-based science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) projects. Administered by Simon Fraser University’s Faculty of Education through the Cmolik Endowment Fund, the program empowers educators to design initiatives that build critical thinking skills, foster curiosity, and create equitable opportunities for students from kindergarten to Grade 12. 

“The Cmolik–SFU Grant Program has the potential to strengthen the educational experiences and learning outcomes for generations of students, and we are excited to see such an enthusiastic response from education communities across B.C.,” says Dan Laitsch, dean of education at SFU. “We deeply appreciate the transformational financial support we have received from Ellen and Russ Cmolik.”

In Coquitlam, the Expanding Equitable Access to Robotics in Middle Schools project received $25,000 to scale a pilot MakeX robotics program to all 14 middle schools, reaching 7,500 students annually and promoting gender equity in STEM education.

“Our goal is to democratize access to robotics education,” said Dave Sands, principal of technology implementation with the Coquitlam school district. “We hope to spark interest in girls—an underrepresented group in robotics—and promote overall equity in STEAM education to prepare all students for future tech-driven careers.”

North Vancouver also received $25,000 for the Robotics for All: Building STEM Pathways through Teamwork, Coding, and Competition project, which will expand robotics clubs to all 26 elementary schools, pairing students with mentors and culminating in a district-wide robotics competition.

Ten more school districts received $10,000 grants for projects ranging from digital storytelling and Indigenous education to makerspaces and virtual reality:

• SD27 – Cariboo-Chilcotin (Tatla Lake Elementary and Junior Secondary) 
  Voices of the Valley: A Rural Youth Digital Newspaper project will engage students as journalists, editors, and designers to collaboratively publish multimedia newspapers using Canva, storytelling, and digital media tools.

• SD33 – Chilliwack (Promontory Heights Elementary) 
  Building Future Innovators Through Hands-on, High-tech Learning expands the school’s Makerspace with robotics kits, engineering tools, and STEM challenges.  

• SD37 – Delta (Hawthorne Elementary) 
  Stories the Land Remembers and Tells Today will create a video-based curriculum that follows Indigenous hunting journeys, blending biology, culture, and reconciliation lessons for use across K–12 classrooms.

• SD39 – Vancouver (J.W. Sexsmith Elementary) 
  The Maker Mindset: Empowering Young Designers Through Applied Design, Skills, and Technologies (ADST) will embed design thinking and ADST kits—including robotics, sewing, and cardboard engineering—into K–7 classrooms.

• SD41 – Burnaby (South Slope/BC School for the Deaf and Cameron Elementary) 
  Digital Storytelling in the Library Learning Commons will transform libraries into storytelling hubs, where tools like Book Creator and stop-motion animation will be used to create multimodal stories by K-12 students.

• SD51 – Boundary (Greenwood Elementary) 
  3D Printing and Laser Cutting Lab will expand access to modern design tools, enabling students across the district to learn digital modeling, prototyping, and hands-on problem-solving through 3D printer, Tinkercad, Canva, and LightBurn.

• SD61 – Greater Victoria (Cedar Hill Middle School) 
  Landing Stories, A Digital Witness will engage 6–8 grade students in creating digital storytelling through film, audio, and photography to document Indigenous land-based learning, guided by Indigenous Education leaders.

• SD72 – Campbell River (Penfield Elementary) 
  Our Stories, Our Strength: A Journey of Healing and Reconciliation will give students opportunities to co-create bilingual (English and a local Indigenous language) picture books and a collaborative mural using Book-Creator, Canva and Office 365.

• SD81 – Fort Nelson (Fort Nelson Secondary School) 
  VR Learning Lab will introduce Class VR technology to provide immersive experiences across subjects, enabling students in this remote community to virtually explore museums, and historic landmarks.

• SD85 – Vancouver Island North (Sea View Elementary) 
  Create Lab: A Student Innovation and Storytelling Studio will establish weekly Innovation Blocks where students design STEAM projects, experiment in a makerspace, and create podcasts, videos, and prototypes that blend technology with literacy.

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