news 2025

Researchers identify the role of a key enzyme in rotavirus and norovirus infection, the leading causes of acute gastroenteritis A research team led by professor Jesús Rodríguez from the University of Valencia (Department of Microbiology) has identified the decisive role of fucosidases - enzymes present both in the human intestine and in the gut microbiota - in infection by rotavirus and norovirus.

When studying how fossil hominids moved, researchers usually analyse the morphology of bones - which is crucial for understanding the evolution of bipedalism - focusing mainly on muscle insertion sites. However, the potential information of studying other types of soft tissue, such as joint ligaments, is often overlooked.

Researchers uncover the role of the coronavirus "anchor": the least-known part of the Spike protein is key to infection A study by the University of Valencia (UV) and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) has revealed that a previously little-studied region of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus Spike protein is essential for the virus to enter human cells.

Published in Nature, the atlas will be freely available to researchers around the world. An international team has published NeuMap, the first atlas to reveal the global architecture of neutrophils, showing how this "first line of defense" reorganizes to protect, remember, and heal. The study-led by scientists at the CNIC, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Yale University, and Westlake University-redefines our understanding of immunity.

Researchers uncover the mechanisms of phage adaptation to eradicate clinically relevant bacteria A study led by Celia Ferriol-González and Pilar Domingo-Calap, researchers at the Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (a joint centre of the University of Valencia, UV, and the Spanish National Research Council, CSIC), reveals the evolutionary mechanism used by phages - viruses of therapeutic interest - to infect multidrug-resistant bacteria.

A new study describes a key molecular mechanism that explains how cells exchange information through extracellular vesicles (EVs), small particles with great therapeutic potential. The results, published in the Journal of Extracellular Vesicles , reveal that the Commander protein complex, previously known for its role in membrane recycling, also coordinates the entry and internal destination of vesicles within the cell.

Researchers discover that a porcine coronavirus uses an unexpected route to enter cells An international team led by the Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I²SysBio) - a joint centre of the University of Valencia (UV) and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) - together with the Institut Pasteur in Paris, has identified, for the first time, a functional receptor for the porcine haemagglutinating encephalomyelitis virus, also known as porcine coronavirus PHEV.

The transition from aquatic to terrestrial life has been one of the most significant evolutionary challenges. This decisive process in the evolution of life on Earth required a profound renewal of the genome. But what changes did genomes undergo to facilitate the transition to the terrestrial environment? Now, a study published in the journal Nature reconstructs the key genomic adaptations at different stages of the evolutionary transition to terrestrial ecosystems.

A research team from the INMA Project on childhood and environment - which includes the University of Valencia and the Fisabio Foundation of the Generalitat Valenciana among others - has analysed how pet ownership during the first years of life may be related to aspects of children's emotional and behavioural well-being.

The presence of reeds, an exotic and invasive plant capable of altering the ecological balance in the natural environment, could have positive effects on fish populations in rivers. This is according to a study published in the journal Science of The Total Environment and led by Professor Alberto Maceda, member of the Research Group FORESTREAM from the Faculty of Biology and the Biodiversity Research Institute (IRBio) at the University of Barcelona.

As the body ages, brown adipose tissue activity decreases, fewer calories are burned, and this can contribute to obesity and certain chronic cardiovascular diseases that worsen with age. A study led by the University of Barcelona has identified a key molecular mechanism in the loss of brown fat activity during ageing.

A study by the UB and IDIBELL shows how the continued use of some antibiotics and drugs damages the cells of the vestibular system of the ear The vestibular system is responsible for the sense of balance in the inner ear. Prolonged use of toxic substances, such as certain antibiotics or anticancer drugs, can damage the hair cells that form part of this system, leading to alterations in balance and other motor skills.

Drugs to treat inflammatory and autoimmune diseases - such as asthma, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis or Chrousos syndrome - act mainly through the glucocorticoid receptor (GR). This essential protein regulates vital processes in various tissues, so understanding its structure and function at the molecular level is essential for designing more effective and safer drugs.

A multidisciplinary research team involving the University of Valencia has identified eight coronavirus genomes in bats from different regions of Spain, three of which could represent new viral species. The findings have been published in the journal PLoS Pathogens .

The brain's mechanisms for repairing injuries caused by trauma or degenerative diseases are not yet known in detail. Now, a study by the University of Barcelona describes a new strategy based on stem cell therapy that could enhance neuronal regeneration and neuroplasticity when this vital organ is damaged.

The sequencing of the genomes of a spider from the mainland ( Dysdera catalonica , left) and one from the Canary Islands ( Dysdera tilosensis , left) opens a new perspective for understanding how genome size evolves in similar species, an enigma that has baffled the scientific community for years. In a few million years, the spider Dysdera tilosensis - a species endemic to the Canary Islands - has reduced the size of its genome by half during the process of colonization and adaptation to its natural habitat.

José Luis Araus, professor at the University of Barcelona's Faculty of Biology and member of Agrotecnio - CERCA centre in agrotechnology - participated in a study showing that wheat varieties perform best under ideal conditions (water, nutrients, temperature) also yield more in challenging environmental and agronomic situations, such as excessive heat or drought.

Scientists develop AI tool to read the "code" of bacterial viruses and design personalised phage treatments A research team from the Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I²SysBio), a joint centre of the University of Valencia (UV) and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), has developed an innovative artificial intelligence system to predict which bacteria can be targeted by bacteriophages (phages) based on the sequence of a key enzyme: depolymerase.

A study by the Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Valencia (UV) has described changes in the ventral and lateral colouration of a species of lizard typical of the northern Iberian peninsula, Podarcis muralis (or wall lizard).

A Mediterranean-style diet, rich in fibre, vegetable proteins and healthy fats, benefits maternal health during pregnancy and breastfeeding.