Scientists in China have made a groundbreaking discovery that could potentially alter our understanding of pandemics. Researchers from the Yunnan Institute of Endemic Disease Control and Prevention have found two new viruses in bats that are closely related to the deadly Nipah and Hendra viruses, which can cause severe brain inflammation and respiratory disease in humans.

The study, published in the open-access journal PLOS Pathogens, analyzed 142 bat kidneys from ten species collected over four years across five areas of Yunnan province. Using advanced genetic sequencing, the team identified 22 viruses – 20 of them never seen before. Two of these newly discovered viruses belong to the henipavirus genus, which includes Nipah and Hendra viruses known for their high fatality rates in humans.

The researchers’ findings are concerning because these henipaviruses can spread through urine, raising the risk of contaminated fruit and the possibility of the viruses jumping to humans or livestock. This highlights the importance of comprehensive microbial analyses of previously understudied organs like bat kidneys to better assess spillover risks from bat populations.

As bats are natural reservoirs for a wide range of microorganisms, including many notable pathogens that have been transmitted to humans, it is essential to conduct thorough research on these animals’ infectomes. This study not only broadens our understanding of the bat kidney infectome but also underscores critical zoonotic threats and highlights the need for comprehensive microbial analyses.

The authors emphasize that their findings raise urgent concerns about the potential for these viruses to spill over into humans or livestock, making it crucial for scientists, policymakers, and public health officials to work together to mitigate this risk. By analyzing the infectome of bat kidneys collected near village orchards and caves in Yunnan, the researchers have uncovered not only the diverse microbes bats carry but also the first full-length genomes of novel bat-borne henipaviruses closely related to Hendra and Nipah viruses identified in China.

Funding for this study came from various grants and programs, including the National Key R&D Program of China, Yunnan Revitalization Talent Support Program Top Physician Project, National Natural Science Foundation of China, and others. The funders had no role in study design, data collection, analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

The question of whether Earth is alone in harboring life has captivated humanity for millennia. In recent years, scientists have turned their attention to Earth-like planets in other solar systems that may show promise. However, many of these exoplanets revolve around stars that emit much stronger solar radiation than our own. A new study offers evidence that life as we know it may be able to thrive on those Earth-like exoplanets.

Researchers at the Desert Research Institute (DRI) and the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) conducted an experiment where they exposed a type of lichen found in the Mojave Desert, Clavascidium lacinulatum, to levels of solar radiation previously considered lethal. The results showed that this common lichen was able to survive for 3 months under these extreme conditions and even replicate when rehydrated.

The study’s lead author, Henry Sun, Associate Research Professor of Microbiology at DRI, explained the significance of their findings: “We’re talking about planets that have liquid water and an atmosphere. The excitement shifted from finding life on Mars to these exoplanets after the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, which can see extremely far into space.”

The researchers’ curiosity was sparked by a curious observation – lichens growing in the Mojave Desert aren’t green, they’re black. Sun wondered what pigment was responsible for this unusual coloration and found that it was a natural sunscreen. This protective layer acts as a photo stabilizer, protecting the cells below from radiation damage.

The researchers also conducted experiments to demonstrate how lichen acids are the natural world’s equivalent of additives used to make plastics UV-resistant. They investigated the lichen’s protective layer by cutting a cross-section of it and found that the top layer was darker, like a human suntan. When they separated the algal cells from the fungi and protective layer, exposure to the same UVC radiation killed the cells in less than a minute.

The study offers evidence that planets beyond Earth may be inhabitable, teeming with colonial microorganisms that are “tanned” and virtually immune to UVC stress. This work reveals the extraordinary tenacity of life even under harsh conditions, a reminder that life strives to endure once sparked.

In exploring these limits, we inch closer to understanding where life might be possible beyond this planet we call home. The study’s findings have significant implications for the search for life on exoplanets and our understanding of the potential for life to thrive in extreme environments.

For over 160 million years, a specific group of fungi has been quietly colonizing trees, leaving behind a distinctive blue-stain discoloration on their hosts. Known as blue-stain fungi, these organisms have long fascinated scientists, but until recently, our knowledge of them was limited to molecular phylogenetic analyses suggesting an ancient origin dating back to the Late Paleozoic or early Mesozoic.

That changed in 2022 when a research team led by Dr. Ning Tian from Shenyang Normal University in China discovered the first credible fossil record of blue-stain fungi from the Cretaceous period, aged approximately 80 million years. Now, this same team has found an even more significant find: well-preserved fossil fungal hyphae preserved within a Jurassic petrified wood from northeastern China, dated 160 million years ago.

Microscopic examination reveals that these ancient hyphae are dark in color, indicative of pigmentation – a hallmark characteristic of contemporary blue-stain fungi. What’s particularly intriguing is the formation of penetration pegs, a specialized structure allowing the hyphae to pierce through the wood cell wall with ease. This distinctive feature confirms that the fossil fungus belongs to the blue-stain fungal group.

Unlike their wood-decay counterparts, which degrade wood cell walls through enzymatic secretion, blue-stain fungi lack this enzymatic capacity. Instead, their hyphae mechanically breach wood cell walls via penetration pegs – a unique adaptation allowing them to thrive in this environment.

The discovery of Jurassic blue-stain fungi represents the second report of this fungal group and pushes back the earliest known fossil record by approximately 80 million years. This finding provides crucial evidence for understanding the origin and early evolution of blue-stain fungi, as well as their ecological relationships with plants and insects during the Jurassic period.

As researchers continue to explore these ancient fossils, they may uncover fresh insights into the complexities of this ecosystem – one where trees, fungi, and insects coexisted in a delicate balance, shaping the course of our planet’s history.