Scientists believe that billions of years ago, when the Sun and Earth were both young, solar activity was far more intense than it is today. Powerful CMEs during that period may have influenced the conditions that allowed life to emerge and evolve. Studies of young Sun-like stars — used as stand-ins for our own star’s early years — show that these stars often unleash flares far stronger than any recorded from the modern Sun.

Reconstructing Ancient Solar Explosions

Massive eruptions from the early Sun likely had dramatic effects on the atmospheres of Earth, Mars, and Venus. Yet researchers still do not fully understand how closely these stellar outbursts resemble today’s CMEs. While scientists have recently observed cooler plasma components of CMEs from the ground, detecting the fast-moving, high-energy events expected in the past has proven much more difficult.

To explore this question, an international research team led by Kosuke Namekata of Kyoto University set out to determine whether young Sun-like stars generate CMEs similar to those of our own Sun.

“What inspired us most was the long-standing mystery of how the young Sun’s violent activity influenced the nascent Earth,” says Namekata. “By combining space- and ground-based facilities across Japan, Korea, and the United States, we were able to reconstruct what may have happened billions of years ago in our own solar system.”

The researchers conducted simultaneous ultraviolet observations with the Hubble Space Telescope and optical observations from ground-based telescopes in Japan and Korea. Their subject was the young Sun-like star EK Draconis. Hubble measured ultraviolet light from extremely hot plasma, while the ground-based observatories tracked cooler hydrogen gas through the Hα line. This coordinated, multi-wavelength approach enabled the team to capture both the hot and cool parts of a CME as it unfolded.

Evidence of a Multi-Temperature Solar Eruption

The observations revealed the first-ever evidence of a multi-temperature CME from EK Draconis. The team discovered that plasma heated to about 100,000 degrees Kelvin was expelled at speeds of 300 to 550 kilometers per second (~670,000 to 1,230,000 miles per hour). Roughly ten minutes later, cooler gas around 10,000 degrees was launched at about 70 kilometers per second (~160,000 miles per hour). The high-temperature plasma carried significantly more energy, indicating that frequent and powerful CMEs in the past could have produced strong shocks and energetic particles capable of reshaping or stripping early planetary atmospheres.

Other studies support the idea that energetic solar events and their resulting particles may have triggered chemical reactions that produced biomolecules and greenhouse gases — key ingredients for sustaining life. This finding therefore deepens our understanding of how solar activity may have created the environmental conditions necessary for life to appear on early Earth, and possibly on other planets as well.

The scientists emphasized that their success depended on global collaboration and precise coordination between space- and ground-based observatories.

“We were happy to see that, although our countries differ, we share the same goal of seeking truth through science,” says Namekata.

The condition, which causes long-term and often debilitating exhaustion, affects millions of people around the world, including more than 400,000 individuals in the UK. Despite its prevalence, ME/CFS has remained poorly understood and notoriously difficult to diagnose.

This new test, which demonstrates 96 percent accuracy, offers renewed hope to patients who have struggled for recognition and reliable answers. Researchers believe the discovery could also lead to a similar test for identifying long Covid.

Validating an Illness Long Dismissed

Lead researcher Prof Dmitry Pshezhetskiy of UEA’s Norwich Medical School explained, “ME/CFS is a serious and often disabling illness characterized by extreme fatigue that is not relieved by rest.

“We know that some patients report being ignored or even told that their illness is ‘all in their head’. With no definitive tests, many patients have gone undiagnosed or misdiagnosed for years.

“We wanted to see if we could develop a blood test to diagnose the condition — and we did!

“Our discovery offers the potential for a simple, accurate blood test to help confirm a diagnosis, which could lead to earlier support and more effective management.”

“Post-Covid syndrome, commonly referred to as long Covid, is one example of ME/CFS, where a similar cluster of symptoms is triggered by the Covid-19 virus, rather than by other known causes such as glandular fever. We therefore hope that our research will also help pave the way for a similar test to accurately diagnose long Covid.”

Using DNA Folding to Detect Disease

To develop the test, researchers employed Oxford BioDynamics’ advanced EpiSwitch® 3D Genomics technology, which examines how DNA is folded within cells. The study analyzed blood samples from 47 people with severe ME/CFS and compared them to 61 healthy volunteers.

Each human cell contains around two metres of DNA, intricately folded in three dimensions. These folds are not random; they form deliberate patterns that help control how genes are activated or silenced, keeping the body functioning properly.

Alexandre Akoulitchev, Chief Scientific Officer at Oxford BioDynamics, said, “Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is not a genetic disease you’re born with. That’s why using EpiSwitch ‘epigenetic’ markers — which can change during a person’s life, unlike fixed genetic code — was key to reaching this high level of accuracy.

“The EpiSwitch platform behind this test, together with OBD’s vast 3D Genomic knowledgebase, has already been proven to deliver practical, rapid blood diagnostics accessible at scale.

“With this breakthrough, we are proud to enable a first-in-class test that can address an unmet need for a quick and reliable diagnostic for a complex, challenging-to-identify illness.”

Proven Technology Behind the Discovery

EpiSwitch technology has previously helped identify blood-based biomarkers for other complex conditions, including fast-progressing ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), rheumatoid arthritis, and several cancers. It also underpins the EpiSwitch PSE prostate cancer test, which delivers world-leading accuracy and is already in clinical use across the UK and US.

In the ME/CFS study, researchers found a distinctive genomic pattern present only in affected individuals and absent in healthy participants. This work looked beyond the linear DNA sequence explored in the large DecodeME study, which was the most extensive genetic investigation of ME/CFS to date.^[1]

By examining the 3D architecture of DNA, the UEA and Oxford BioDynamics team uncovered hundreds of additional biological differences, including five of the eight genetic regions previously identified by DecodeME. This deeper insight could advance scientific understanding of the illness.

Uncovering Biological Clues for Future Treatments

The new analysis demonstrated exceptional precision, achieving 92 percent sensitivity (correctly identifying those with ME/CFS) and 98 percent specificity (correctly identifying those without it).

Researchers also observed signs of immune system involvement and inflammation pathways, suggesting potential biological targets for future therapies. These findings may help determine which patients are most likely to benefit from specific treatments.

Toward More Accurate Diagnosis and Personalized Care

“This is a significant step forward,” said UEA’s Prof Pshezhetskiy. “For the first time, we have a simple blood test that can reliably identify ME/CFS — potentially transforming how we diagnose and manage this complex disease.”

“Additionally, understanding the biological pathways involved in ME/CFS opens the door to developing targeted treatments and identifying which patients might benefit most from specific therapies.

“We hope that the Episwitch® CFS test could become a vital tool in clinical settings, paving the way for more personalized and effective care.”

Notes

1. Genetics Discovery Team, et al (2025). Initial findings from the DecodeME genome-wide association study of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome. medRxiv, Preprint. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.08.06.25333109

This research was led by UEA and Oxford BioDynamics in collaboration with The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust.

‘Development and validation of blood-based diagnostic biomarkers for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) using EpiSwitch® 3-dimensional genomic regulatory immuno-genetic profiling’ is published in the Journal of Translational Medicine.

The study, published in Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy, is the first to show that a gene from long-lived individuals can slow down heart aging in a model of Progeria. Known scientifically as Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS), this rare and fatal disorder causes children to exhibit signs of “accelerated aging.”

Progeria stems from a mutation in the LMNA gene, which leads to the creation of a harmful protein called progerin. This protein disrupts normal cell function, particularly in the heart and blood vessels. Most affected children die in their teenage years from heart complications, though some, like Sammy Basso — the oldest known person with Progeria — live longer. Sammy passed away on October 24, 2024, at the age of 28.

Progerin harms cells by destabilizing their nucleus, the “control center” that manages cell activity. This damage accelerates aging, especially in the cardiovascular system.

At present, the only drug approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is lonafarnib, which reduces the accumulation of progerin. Researchers are now testing a combination of lonafarnib with another experimental drug, Progerinin, to determine whether the two work better together.

Testing Longevity Genes from Supercentenarians

To explore new treatments, Dr. Yan Qiu and Professor Paolo Madeddu of the Bristol Heart Institute collaborated with Professor Annibale Puca’s team at IRCCS MultiMedica in Italy. Their goal was to determine if genes from people who live to extreme old age — supercentenarians — could protect against the cellular damage caused by Progeria.

The scientists focused on one particular gene, LAV-BPIFB4, which previous research has shown supports healthy heart and blood vessel function during aging.

Using genetically engineered mice that develop Progeria, the researchers observed early heart problems similar to those found in children with the disease. After a single injection of the LAV-BPIFB4 longevity gene, the mice showed improved heart function, particularly in the way the heart relaxes and fills with blood (a process known as diastolic function).

The gene treatment also reduced heart tissue damage, known as fibrosis, and lowered the number of “aged” cells in the heart. In addition, it promoted the growth of new small blood vessels, potentially improving heart health and resilience.

The team then tested the gene on human cells derived from Progeria patients. These experiments revealed that introducing the longevity gene reduced cellular aging and fibrosis without altering progerin levels directly. This suggests that the gene helps cells withstand the toxic effects of progerin rather than eliminating it. The approach strengthens the body’s natural defenses instead of attacking the defective protein itself.

A New Approach to Treating Progeria and Heart Aging

Dr. Yan Qiu, Honorary Research Fellow in the Bristol Heart Institute at the University of Bristol, said: “Our research has identified a protective effect of a “supercentenarian longevity gene” against progeria heart dysfunction in both animal and cell models.

“The results offer hope to a new type of therapy for Progeria; one based on the natural biology of healthy aging rather than blocking the faulty protein. This approach, in time, could also help fight normal age-related heart disease.

“Our research brings new hope in the fight against Progeria and suggests the genetics of supercentenarians could lead to new treatments for premature or accelerated cardiac aging, which might help us all live longer, healthier lives.”

Looking Ahead: Toward New Anti-Aging Therapies

Professor Annibale Puca, Research Group Leader at IRCCS MultiMedica and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Salerno, added: “This is the first study to indicate that a longevity-associated gene can counteract the cardiovascular damage caused by progeria.

“The results pave the way for new treatment strategies for this rare disease, which urgently requires innovative cardiovascular drugs capable of improving both long-term survival and patient quality of life. Looking ahead, the administration of the LAV-BPIFB4 gene through gene therapy could be replaced and/or complemented by new protein- or RNA-based delivery methods.

“We are currently conducting numerous studies to investigate the potential of LAV-BPIFB4 in counteracting the deterioration of the cardiovascular and immune systems in various pathological conditions, with the goal of translating these experimental findings into a new biologic drug.”

The fossil comes from the famous “Dueling Dinosaurs” discovery in Montana, which preserved two creatures locked in ancient combat — a Triceratops and a smaller-bodied tyrannosaur. After extensive analysis, scientists have confirmed that the smaller predator was not a juvenile T. rex, but an adult Nanotyrannus lancensis.

“This fossil doesn’t just settle the debate. It flips decades of T. rex research on its head,” says Lindsay Zanno, associate research professor at North Carolina State University and head of paleontology at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. Zanno co-authored the study recently published in Nature.

Evidence Points to a Fully Mature Predator

By studying bone growth rings, spinal fusion, and developmental anatomy, researchers determined that the animal was roughly 20 years old when it died — well into adulthood. Distinct traits, including longer arms, a greater number of teeth, fewer tail vertebrae, and unique skull nerve structures, all appeared early in development and are biologically inconsistent with T. rex.

“For Nanotyrannus to be a juvenile T. rex, it would need to defy everything we know about vertebrate growth,” explains James Napoli, an anatomist at Stony Brook University and co-author of the research. “It’s not just unlikely — it’s impossible.”

The findings carry major implications. For years, scientists relied on Nanotyrannus fossils to understand T. rex growth, behavior, and ecology. This new study reveals that such comparisons were mistaken — those bones belonged to two separate species. It also indicates that several kinds of tyrannosaurs may have lived side by side during the final million years before the asteroid impact that ended the age of dinosaurs.

A Hidden Species Revealed

Zanno and Napoli reviewed more than 200 tyrannosaur fossils during their research. One specimen, long thought to be a teenage T. rex, turned out to differ slightly from Nanotyrannus lancensis. The team designated it a new species, Nanotyrannus lethaeus, referencing the River Lethe from Greek mythology — a fitting tribute to a species “forgotten” for decades.

Recognizing Nanotyrannus as a valid genus reshapes our picture of the late Cretaceous ecosystem. Predator diversity during that time appears to have been far greater than scientists once assumed, suggesting that other small dinosaur species might also have been misclassified.

“This discovery paints a richer, more competitive picture of the last days of the dinosaurs,” says Zanno. “With enormous size, a powerful bite force and stereoscopic vision, T. rex was a formidable predator, but it did not reign uncontested. Darting alongside was Nanotyrannus — a leaner, swifter and more agile hunter.”

The research, published in Nature, was supported by the State of North Carolina, NC State University, the Friends of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, and the Dueling Dinosaurs Capital Campaign.

An international research team has uncovered how this massive bat hunts and eats its prey. Their findings, published in Science, reveal an astonishing story of night-time aerial chases, precision attacks, and predation in total darkness.

Each year, billions of songbirds migrate between breeding and wintering grounds. Many travel at night and at high altitudes to avoid daytime predators. Yet flying in darkness comes with its own dangers, as bats rule the night skies.

Riding on the Bats’ Backs

To understand these elusive hunters, scientists effectively “rode along” with Europe’s largest bat — the greater noctule (Nyctalus lasiopterus) — by fitting individuals with tiny “backpacks” containing biologgers developed at Aarhus University. These lightweight devices measured the bats’ altitude, acceleration, movement, and sounds (including their echolocation calls), providing an unprecedented look at their nocturnal hunting strategies more than a kilometer above ground.

The data revealed that the bats soar high into the night sky to find and ambush unsuspecting birds. Unlike insects, birds cannot detect the bats’ ultrasonic calls and only realize the danger moments before being caught.

Their success depends on powerful, low-frequency echolocation calls that can detect birds at long distances. When they close in on a target, the bats unleash rapid bursts of short calls, signaling the final stage of attack.

Daring Dives

Information from the biologgers showed that the bats plunge toward their prey in steep, high-speed dives reminiscent of fighter jets in combat.

In two documented chases, the bats dove for 30 and 176 seconds respectively, flapping harder, tripling their acceleration, and continuously emitting attack calls.

The first bat eventually abandoned its pursuit — birds are agile aerialists too — but the second succeeded after a nearly three-minute chase, capturing a robin near the ground.

Microphones recorded 21 distress calls from the robin, followed by 23 minutes of chewing as the bat flew low, feeding on the wing.

Combined with X-ray and DNA analysis of bird wings found beneath hunting areas, these results confirm what happens next: the bat kills the bird with a bite, removes its wings (likely to reduce drag), and then uses the membrane between its hind legs as a pouch to hold and eat the prey while still airborne.

Wild Maneuvers

“We know that songbirds perform wild evasive maneuvers such as loops and spirals to escape predators like hawks during the day — and they seem to use the same tactics against bats at night. It’s fascinating that bats are not only able to catch them, but also to kill and eat them while flying. A bird like that weighs about half as much as the bat itself — it would be like me catching and eating a 35-kilo animal while jogging,” explains Assistant Professor Laura Stidsholt from the Department of Biology at Aarhus University.

Stidsholt, a lead author of the study, has spent years perfecting biologger technology in bat research, resulting in numerous discoveries. When she completed the data collection and analysis for this project, she was a Postdoc at the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW) in Berlin.

A 25-Year Hypothesis Confirmed

For decades, scientists suspected that some large bat species prey on small birds during flight. Much of that work originated from Spanish bat expert Carlos Ibáñez and colleagues at the Doñana Biological Station (CSIC) in Seville.

Nearly 25 years ago, Ibáñez found bird feathers in greater noctule droppings and spent years gathering evidence that these bats were indeed bird predators.

His team has closely monitored this elusive forest-dwelling species using “smart” roosts equipped with antennas to detect implanted microchips in the bats. The system tracks movements, stores data, and sends alerts to researchers’ phones in real time.

Despite the evidence, the idea that bats could catch birds midair was met with skepticism, as birds can weigh nearly half as much as the bats themselves.

Filming these hunts proved impossible in the dark. Over the years, researchers experimented with roost cameras, military radar, hot-air balloons with ultrasound recorders, and GPS trackers — struggling to create tools light enough for the bats to carry.

Finally, with new miniature biologgers from Aarhus University — and just as Ibáñez neared retirement — the team succeeded in recording a greater noctule hunting and eating a bird in flight.

Essential for Bat Conservation

For co-author Elena Tena, hearing the recording was both thrilling and sobering:

“While it evokes empathy for the prey, it is part of nature. We knew we had documented something extraordinary. For the team, it confirmed what we had been seeking for so long. I had to listen to it several times to fully grasp what we had recorded.”

Fortunately, these bats pose no threat to songbird populations. The greater noctule is extremely rare and endangered in many regions due to the loss of forest habitats.

Understanding its behavior and ecology is now vital for developing conservation and management strategies that can help protect one of Europe’s most extraordinary nocturnal predators.