Researchers at the University of Geneva (UNIGE) have developed a new approach that could change this. Using machine learning, they created the first detailed catalogue of all human gut bacteria at a level precise enough to reveal how different microbial subgroups function in the body. They then used this information to detect colorectal cancer based on bacteria found in simple stool samples, offering a non-invasive and low-cost alternative. The findings, published in Cell Host & Microbe, could also help scientists better understand how gut microbiota influences overall health and disease.

Why Better Screening Tools Are Needed

Many cases of colorectal cancer are diagnosed late, when treatment options are more limited. This highlights the urgent need for easier and less invasive screening methods, especially as cases continue to rise among younger adults for reasons that remain unclear.

Scientists have long known that gut microbiota plays a role in colorectal cancer. However, turning that knowledge into practical medical tools has been difficult. One major challenge is that different strains within the same bacterial species can behave very differently. Some may contribute to cancer development, while others have no effect at all.

Focusing on Microbiota Subspecies

“Instead of relying on the analysis of the various species composing the microbiota, which does not capture all meaningful differences, or of bacterial strains, which vary greatly from one individual to another, we focused on an intermediate level of the microbiota, the subspecies,” explains Mirko Trajkovski, full professor in the Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism and in the Diabetes Centre at the UNIGE Faculty of Medicine, who led this research.

“The subspecies resolution is specific and can capture the differences in how bacteria function and contribute to diseases including cancer, while remaining general enough to detect these changes among different groups of individuals, populations, or countries.”

Using Machine Learning to Decode the Gut

The research required analyzing massive amounts of biological data. “As a bioinformatician, the challenge was to come up with an innovative approach for mass data analysis,” says Matija Trickovic, PhD student in Trajkovski’s lab and the study’s first author.

“We successfully developed the first comprehensive catalogue of human gut microbiota subspecies, together with a precise and efficient method to use it both for research and in the clinic.”

A Stool Test That Rivals Colonoscopy

By combining their bacterial catalogue with existing clinical datasets, the team built a model that can identify colorectal cancer using only stool samples. The results exceeded expectations.

“Although we were confident in our strategy, the results were striking,” says Matija Trickovic. “Our method detected 90% of cancer cases, a result very close to the 94% detection rate achieved by colonoscopies and better than all current non-invasive detection methods.”

With additional clinical data, the model could become even more accurate and eventually match colonoscopy performance. In practice, this type of test could be used for routine screening, with colonoscopies reserved for confirming positive cases.

Expanding Beyond Cancer Detection

A clinical trial is now being prepared in partnership with the Geneva University Hospitals (HUG) to better define which cancer stages and lesions the method can detect.

The implications extend far beyond colorectal cancer. By examining differences between subspecies within the same bacterial species, researchers can begin to uncover how gut microbes influence a wide range of health conditions.

“The same method could soon be used to develop non-invasive diagnostic tools for a wide range of diseases, all based on a single microbiota analysis,” concludes Mirko Trajkovski.

This balance matters because body composition plays a major role in long-term health. A higher proportion of fat mass (FM) is linked to a greater risk of death from obesity-related conditions, including cardiovascular problems. In contrast, a higher proportion of fat-free mass (FFM) is associated with a lower risk of death.

Why Fat Loss and Muscle Preservation Matter

The findings highlight an important tradeoff. While reducing fat is beneficial, maintaining lean mass is also critical for overall health and survival. Understanding how these two components change with different treatments remains an active area of research.

The researchers noted that more studies are needed to better understand how FM and FFM shift after bariatric surgery or treatment with GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs in real-world clinical settings. Their findings were published in JAMA Network Open.

Study Design and Patient Data

The study was led by Danxia Yu, PhD, associate professor of Medicine in the Division of Epidemiology, and Jason Samuels, MD, assistant professor of Surgery.

Researchers conducted a retrospective analysis using electronic health records. The study included 1,257 patients between the ages of 18 and 65 who underwent bariatric surgery at Vanderbilt Health from 2017 to 2022. It also included 1,809 patients treated with the drugs semaglutide or tirzepatide from 2018 to 2023.

Individuals with a history of end-stage renal disease or congestive heart failure were excluded from the analysis.

To evaluate changes in body composition, the researchers used bioelectrical impedance analysis. This method estimates FM and FFM based on individual characteristics such as height, weight, age, race, gender, history of diabetes, and duration of GLP-1 treatment.

Key Findings Over 24 Months

Over a 24-month period, both treatment approaches produced similar patterns. Patients experienced substantial reductions in FM along with modest decreases in FFM. At the same time, the ratio of FFM to FM increased, indicating an overall improvement in body composition.

The study also found differences between men and women. Male patients tended to preserve fat-free mass more effectively over the long term compared to female patients.

Research Team and Funding

The first authors of the study were graduate student Zicheng Wang, MS, and postdoctoral fellow Lei Wang, PhD, both in Epidemiology.

Additional contributors included Xinmeng Zhang and You Chen, PhD (Biomedical Informatics and Computer Science); Brandon Lowery (Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical and Translational Research); Lauren Lee Shaffer, MS, and Quinn Wells, MD (Cardiovascular Medicine); and Charles Flynn, PhD, Brandon Williams, MD, Matthew Spann, MD, and Gitanjali Srivastava, MD (Surgery).

The research was supported in part by National Institutes of Health grants R01DK126721 and R01CA275864.

Even with this long history, researchers have struggled to explain exactly how plant-based foods reduce inflammation. In laboratory settings, individual plant compounds often show anti-inflammatory effects, but usually only at levels far higher than what a normal diet can provide. This has led to doubts about whether so-called ‘anti-inflammatory foods’ can truly influence the immune system in real life. Another unresolved question is whether different compounds might work together inside cells, producing stronger effects in combination than on their own. Until recently, this type of synergy had rarely been tested or explained at the molecular level.

Study Explores How Plant Compounds Work Together

To better understand this, a team led by Professor Gen-ichiro Arimura from the Department of Biological Science and Technology at Tokyo University of Science, Japan, examined how combinations of plant-derived compounds affect inflammation in immune cells. Their findings, published in Volume 18, Issue 3 of the journal Nutrients, focused on compounds commonly found in mint, eucalyptus, and chili peppers. The researchers wanted to see whether pairing these compounds could reduce inflammatory signals more effectively than using them individually.

Testing Anti-Inflammatory Effects in Immune Cells

The team studied macrophages, immune cells that play a key role in inflammation by releasing signaling proteins called cytokines. These proteins help drive inflammatory responses. To simulate inflammation, the researchers exposed murine macrophages to lipopolysaccharide, a bacterial component often used in laboratory experiments. They then treated the cells with menthol (from mint), 1,8-cineole (from eucalyptus), capsaicin (from chili peppers), and β-eudesmol (from hops and gingers), testing each compound alone as well as in specific combinations.

Using gene expression analysis, protein measurements, and calcium imaging, the scientists tracked how these treatments affected important inflammatory markers. They also investigated whether the compounds acted through transient receptor potential (TRP) channels, which are proteins in the cell membrane that detect chemical and physical signals and regulate calcium activity linked to immune responses.

Powerful Synergy Between Common Food Compounds

When tested individually, capsaicin showed the strongest anti-inflammatory effect. However, the most striking results appeared when compounds were combined. “When capsaicin and menthol or 1,8-cineole were used together, their anti-inflammatory effect increased several hundred-fold compared to when each compound was used alone,” highlights Prof. Arimura.

Further experiments helped clarify how this synergy works. Menthol and 1,8-cineole influenced inflammation through TRP channels and calcium signaling. Capsaicin, on the other hand, appears to act through a different pathway that does not rely on TRP channels. “We demonstrated that this synergistic effect is not a coincidence, but is based on a novel mode of action resulting from the simultaneous activation of different intracellular signaling pathways,” says Prof. Arimura. “This provides clear molecular-level evidence for the empirically known effects of combining food ingredients.”

What This Means for Diet and Future Health Products

These results suggest that mixtures of plant compounds can produce meaningful biological effects even at the lower levels typically consumed in a normal diet. The findings also point to new opportunities for developing functional foods, dietary supplements, seasonings, or even fragrances that deliver stronger benefits using smaller amounts of active ingredients.

More broadly, the research supports the idea that the health benefits of plant-rich diets may come not from individual ‘super compounds,’ but from the way many compounds interact and reinforce each other.

A Step Toward Understanding Food and Inflammation

Although additional studies in animals and humans are needed to confirm these effects, this work provides a clearer explanation of how everyday foods and natural compounds may help regulate chronic inflammation. Over time, this could play an important role in supporting long-term health.

About Professor Gen-ichiro Arimura from Tokyo University of Science

Dr. Gen-ichiro Arimura is a Professor in the Department of Biological Science and Technology at Tokyo University of Science, Japan. Prof. Arimura earned his Ph.D. degree in 1998 from Hiroshima University Graduate School. His research focuses on biological communications, plant biotechnology, and plant ecology. Since 1996, he has published 130 peer-reviewed papers with more than 6,600 citations. He also holds four patents and received an award from the International Society of Chemical Ecology in 2023.

Funding information

This work was partially supported by Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) KAKENHI (24K01723) and Tokyo University of Science Research Grants.

Researchers at Flinders University have now developed a promising new approach that could help remove some of the hardest-to-capture forms of these long-lasting pollutants from water.

New Method Targets Hard-to-Remove PFAS

The team, led by Flinders ARC Research Fellow Dr. Witold Bloch, created specialized materials known as adsorbents that can effectively capture PFAS. Their method is particularly successful at trapping short-chain PFAS, which are notoriously difficult to remove with current water treatment technologies.

Their findings, published in the journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition, highlight the use of a nano-sized molecular cage designed to act as a highly selective ‘PFAS trap’.

“While some long-chain PFAS can be partially removed using existing water treatment technologies, the capture of short-chain PFAS — which are more mobile in water — remains a major unresolved challenge,” says project leader Dr. Witold Bloch, from Flinders University’s College of Science and Engineering.

“We discovered that a nano-sized cage captures short-chain PFAS by forcing them to aggregate favourably inside its cavity. This unusually strong binding mechanism is different from that of traditional adsorbent materials.”

How the Nano Cage Technology Works

To make the system effective, the researchers embedded these molecular cages into mesoporous silica, a material that typically does not bind PFAS on its own.

First author Caroline Andersson, a PhD candidate in chemistry at Flinders University, explains that adding the nanosized cage allows the material to remove a wide range of PFAS compounds from water, including those that are especially difficult to isolate.

“The most exciting aspect of this project was that we first conducted in-depth studies of how PFAS bind within the cage on the molecular level,” she says. “That allowed us to understand the precise binding behaviour and then use that knowledge to design an effective adsorbent for PFAS removal.”

High Efficiency and Reusability in Water Filtration

Laboratory tests showed that the new material can remove up to 98% of PFAS at environmentally relevant concentrations in model tap water.

“The adsorbent also demonstrated reusability, remaining highly effective after at least five cycles of reuse. These results highlight its potential for integration into water filtration systems for polishing drinking water at the final stage of treatment,” adds Dr. Bloch.

“This research represents an important step toward the development of advanced materials capable of tackling one of the world’s most persistent environmental contaminants,” he concludes.

Growing Concern Over PFAS Pollution

PFAS chemicals are widely used in industrial manufacturing, aviation firefighting foam, and everyday consumer products. Over time, they can enter freshwater and marine environments, raising increasing concerns about potential health risks to humans, livestock, and wildlife.

Acknowledgements: The PFAS study was funded by Australian Research Council grants (FT240100330, DE240100664, DP230100587, CE230100021 and FT220100054), and Playford Trust PhD and ATSE Elevate PhD scholarships. The study used facilities including the MX1 and MX2 beamline at the ANSTO Australian Synchrotron, Australian Cancer Research Foundation detector, Flinders Analytical, Flinders Deepthought and the National Facility of the National Computational Infrastructure, and Microscopy Australia, enabled by NCRIS and the government of South Australia at Flinders Microscopy and Microanalysis.

Published in Sports Medicine, the research looks at sprinting through a dynamical systems approach. Instead of pointing to one ideal running technique, it argues that speed develops from the interaction between an athlete’s body, their environment, and their training background.

Why Every Sprinter Moves Differently

The study was led by Flinders University, working with researchers from ALTIS, Johannes Gutenberg University, and Nord University. It shows that factors such as coordination, strength, limb mechanics, and individual physical traits all combine to influence how someone runs. This helps explain why elite sprinters can look very different from one another at top speed.

Lead author and Movement Scientist, Dr. Dylan Hicks from Flinders’ College of Education, Psychology and Social Work says the results challenge the long-held belief that all athletes should be coached toward a single technical model.

“For decades, sprint coaching has often been based on the belief that all athletes should move in one prescribed way,” says Dr. Hicks.

“But our research shows that sprinting is far more complex. The best athletes in the world don’t all run the same. What they share is not one technique but the ability to organize their bodies efficiently under pressure and that looks different for every sprinter.”

Gout Gout Shows the Power of Individual Strengths

One example highlighted in the study is rising Australian sprint talent Gout Gout. His stride length, power, and neuromuscular control set him apart.

Although he is often compared to Usain Bolt, the research stresses that his speed comes from his own physical and mechanical traits rather than copying another athlete.

“Gout Gout shows how individual characteristics can shape world-class speed in different ways,” says Dr. Hicks.

“His longer limbs, elastic qualities and remarkable coordination blend to produce the step patterns we see when he’s at full flight.

“You can’t coach another athlete to simply copy that. What you can do is understand the principles behind his coordination and create the right conditions for each athlete to find their own most effective version.”

Why Sprint Technique Naturally Changes

The researchers also explain that sprinting form is not fixed. It evolves as athletes accelerate, reach top speed, and begin to fatigue. These shifts are not flaws but a normal and necessary part of running at high speed.

In fact, the study suggests that movement variability, which has often been viewed as something to correct, actually helps athletes adapt and improve.

Rethinking How Coaches Train Sprinters

These insights could significantly change coaching methods. Rather than focusing heavily on repetitive drills, the researchers recommend creating training environments where athletes can experiment with different movement patterns.

Coaches can adjust factors like hurdle spacing, running surfaces, or rhythm to help athletes discover more efficient ways to move. Over time, this allows sprinters to develop techniques that suit their individual bodies.

“Great coaching is not about enforcing one template, it’s more about guiding an athlete to discover how their own body produces speed,” says Dr. Hicks.

“When we give athletes opportunities to problem-solve through movement, we open the door to more resilient and adaptable sprint performance.”

A New Path for Developing Future Sprint Talent

The researchers believe this approach could improve how Australia identifies and develops sprint talent. Instead of judging athletes against a fixed checklist of technical form, coaches could focus on how each individual naturally moves.

Dr. Hicks says this perspective may help explain the recent rise of promising Australian sprinters, including Lachlan Kennedy and Gout Gout.

“When an athlete is supported to move in a way that suits their structure, their strength profile and their natural rhythm, performance accelerates.

“We’re seeing what’s possible when individuality is embraced, not coached out,” he concludes.

The team hopes their work encourages wider discussion among coaches and provides a stronger, evidence-based framework for helping Australian sprinters compete at the highest level.

Open access funding was provided by Nord University.

The Moon has endured constant bombardment over its 4.5 billion year history. The large dark regions that form the “seas” of the Man in the Moon are actually vast impact basins created during a period of intense collisions that ended around 3.8 billion years ago. Although those massive impacts are no longer common, smaller asteroids and comets still strike the Moon today, leaving behind fresh craters.

How Scientists Found a New Lunar Crater

Catching one of these impacts as it happens is extremely difficult. Instead, scientists look for evidence after the fact. The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera team discovered a new crater by carefully comparing images of the same area taken at different times. By identifying changes between photos captured before December 2009 and after December 2012, they were able to narrow down when the impact occurred, even though no one actually saw it happen.

This newly identified crater is about 22 meters wide, roughly the size of a large house. What makes it stand out is not its size, but how bright it appears. The impact threw material outward for tens of meters, forming striking rays that spread out in a sunburst pattern. This freshly exposed material is much brighter than the surrounding darker regolith, making the crater look like a new mark on an otherwise familiar surface.

Why Bright Craters Fade Over Time

That brightness will not last. Space weathering, caused by solar wind particles, micrometeorite impacts, and cosmic radiation, slowly darkens exposed material. Over thousands to millions of years, the crater’s rays will fade until they blend in with older features. This process explains why ancient craters lack bright rays, while younger ones like Tycho, which formed about 108 million years ago, still display prominent streaks visible from Earth.

Finding new craters is more than just an interesting discovery. It helps scientists better estimate how often impacts occur, which is important for assessing risks to spacecraft and future human missions. It also allows researchers to refine methods used to determine the ages of different lunar surfaces by studying how quickly craters and their features change over time.

The Moon Is Still Changing

For anyone who enjoys observing the Moon, there is something remarkable about knowing it is not a static object. The surface we have looked at for generations continues to evolve, gaining new features as it travels through space. These fresh craters are a reminder that the Moon is still being shaped by ongoing impacts, and that the Solar System remains active and occasionally violent.