A cholesterol secret inside ticks may halt Lyme disease spread Scientists have discovered that the bacteria behind Lyme disease and anaplasmosis have a sneaky way of surviving inside ticks—they hijack the tick’s own cell functions to steal cholesterol they need to grow. By tapping into a built-in protein pathway, the bacteria keep themselves alive until they can infect a new host. The research opens the door to new methods of stopping these diseases before ticks ever get the chance to bite. A new web tool also reveals that this trick might be used by other blood-feeding bugs too.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/r....eleases/2025/07/2507

The fatal mutation that lets cancer outsmart the human immune system Scientists at UC Davis discovered a small genetic difference that could explain why humans are more prone to certain cancers than our primate cousins. The change affects a protein used by immune cells to kill tumors—except in humans, it’s vulnerable to being shut down by an enzyme that tumors release. This flaw may be one reason treatments like CAR-T don’t work as well on solid tumors. The surprising twist? That mutation might have helped our brains grow larger over time. Now, researchers are exploring ways to block the enzyme and give our immune system its power back.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/r....eleases/2025/07/2507

How female friendships help chimp babies survive Female chimpanzees that forge strong, grooming-rich friendships with other females dramatically boost their infants’ odds of making it past the perilous first year—no kin required. Three decades of Gombe observations show that well-integrated mothers enjoy a survival rate of up to 95% for their young, regardless of male allies or sisters. The payoff may come from shared defense, reduced stress, or better access to food, hinting that such alliances laid early groundwork for humanity’s extraordinary cooperative spirit.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/r....eleases/2025/07/2507

Scientists reveal a spontaneous reaction that could have started life Scientists have uncovered a surprising new way that urea—an essential building block for life—could have formed on the early Earth. Instead of requiring high temperatures or complex catalysts, this process occurs naturally on the surface of tiny water droplets like those in sea spray or fog. At this boundary between air and water, a unique chemical environment allows carbon dioxide and ammonia to combine and spontaneously produce urea, without any added energy. The finding offers a compelling clue in the mystery of life’s origins and hints that nature may have used simple, everyday phenomena to spark complex biological chemistry.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/r....eleases/2025/06/2506

Sex swap in seconds: The fish that takes charge and changes gender Remove the top male spotty fish and, within minutes, the next-in-line female morphs into the tank s new tyrant charging and nipping rivals while her body quietly begins a weeks-long transition to male.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/r....eleases/2025/06/2506