How algae learned to harness the Sun without getting burned Under the sea, green algae have evolved a clever way to handle too much sunlight. Scientists found that a special pigment called siphonein acts like a natural sun shield, protecting the algae’s delicate photosynthetic machinery from burning out. Using advanced imaging and simulations, researchers showed how siphonein helps algae safely manage excess light energy. The discovery could inspire new solar technologies that mimic nature’s built-in protection systems.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/r....eleases/2025/10/2510

Hunting ancient viruses in the Arctic, and how ants build their nests to fight disease First up on the podcast, Contributing Correspondent Kai Kupferschmidt takes a trip to Svalbard, an Arctic archipelago where ancient RNA viruses may lie buried in the permafrost. He talks with host Sarah Crespi about why we only have 100 years of evolutionary history for viruses such as coronavirus and influenza, and what we can learn by looking deeper back in time.

Next on the show, Nathalie Stroeymeyt, senior lecturer at the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Bristol, joins freelancer producer Elah Feder to talk about how humans aren’t the only species that takes public health measures to stop outbreaks. To keep their colonies healthy when threatened with infectious disease, ants socially distance and even make architectural changes to their nests’ organization.

This week’s episode was produced with help from Podigy.

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https://www.science.org/doi/10.....1126/science.zxkdz6