The human body begins as a single cell that multiplies and differentiates into thousands of specialized cells. Researchers at the Göttingen Campus Institute for Dynamics of Biological Networks (CIDBN) and the Max Planck Institute have made a groundbreaking discovery: embryonic cells “listen” to each other through molecular mechanisms previously known only from hearing.

Using an interdisciplinary approach combining developmental genetics, brain research, hearing research, and theoretical physics, the researchers found that in thin layers of skin, cells register the movements of their neighboring cells and synchronize their own tiny movements with those of the others. This coordination allows groups of neighboring cells to pull together with greater force, making them highly sensitive and able to respond quickly and flexibly.

The researchers created computer models of tissue development, which showed that this “whispering” among neighboring cells leads to an intricate choreography of the entire tissue, protecting it from external forces. These findings were confirmed by video recordings of embryonic development and further experiments.

Dr. Matthias Häring, group leader at the CIDBN, explained that using AI methods and computer-assisted analysis allowed them to examine about a hundred times more cell pairs than was previously possible in this field, giving their results high accuracy.

The mechanisms revealed in embryonic development are also known to play a role in hearing, where hair cells convert sound waves into nerve signals. The ear is sensitive because of special proteins that convert mechanical forces into electrical currents. This discovery suggests that such sensors of force may have evolved from our single-celled ancestors, which emerged long before the origin of animal life.

Professor Fred Wolf, Director of the CIDBN, noted that future work should determine whether the original function of these cellular “nanomachines” was to perceive forces inside the body rather than perceiving the outside world. This phenomenon could provide insights into how force perception at a cellular level has evolved.

A new study from the University of Vienna has made a groundbreaking discovery in the field of developmental biology. Researchers have found that sea anemones, traditionally considered radially symmetric animals, use a molecular mechanism known as BMP shuttling to pattern their back-to-belly body axis. This finding suggests that bilateral symmetry, which characterizes a vast group of animals including vertebrates, insects, and worms, may have evolved much earlier than previously assumed.

BMP shuttling is a signaling system involving Bone Morphogenetic Proteins (BMPs) and their inhibitor Chordin. In bilaterian animals, this mechanism creates a gradient of BMP activity across the embryo, allowing cells to detect and adopt different fates depending on BMP levels. The study’s findings indicate that sea anemones use BMP shuttling in a similar manner, with cells expressing different fates based on BMP signaling.

To investigate whether sea anemones indeed use BMP shuttling, researchers blocked Chordin production in the embryos of the model sea anemone Nematostella vectensis. Without Chordin, BMP signaling ceased, and the formation of the second body axis failed. However, when Chordin was reintroduced into a small part of the embryo, BMP signaling resumed – but only with a diffusible form of Chordin, which acts as a BMP shuttle.

The presence of BMP shuttling in both cnidarians and bilaterians suggests that this molecular mechanism predates their evolutionary divergence some 600-700 million years ago. The study’s findings open up exciting possibilities for rethinking how body plans evolved in early animals, and may have significant implications for our understanding of the evolution of bilateral symmetry.

The research was supported by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF), grants P32705 and M3291.

The world of insects is often shrouded in mystery, but recent research has uncovered a fascinating phenomenon that could hold the key to understanding the survival strategies of bumble bee colonies. A new study from the University of California, Riverside reveals that even the mighty queens, sole founders of their colonies, take regular breaks from reproduction – likely to avoid burning out before their first workers arrive.

In the early stages of colony building, bumblebee queens shoulder the entire workload. They forage for food, incubate their developing brood by heating them with their wing muscles, maintain the nest, and lay eggs. This high-stakes balancing act is crucial, as without the queen, the colony fails. Researchers noticed an intriguing rhythm – a burst of egg-laying followed by several days of apparent inactivity.

The study’s lead author, Blanca Peto, observed this pattern early on while taking daily photos of the nests. “I saw these pauses just by taking daily photos of the nests,” she said. “It wasn’t something I expected. I wanted to know what was happening during those breaks.”

To find out what triggered the pauses, Peto monitored more than 100 queens over a period of 45 days in a controlled insectary. She documented each queen’s nesting activity, closely examining their distinctive clutches – clusters of eggs laid in wax-lined “cups” embedded in pollen mounds. Across the population, a pattern emerged: Many queens paused reproduction for several days, typically after a stretch of intense egg-laying.

The timing of these pauses appeared to align with the developmental stages of the existing brood. To test this, Peto experimentally added broods at different stages – young larvae, older larvae, and pupae – into nests during a queen’s natural pause. The presence of pupae, which are nearly mature bees, prompted queens to resume egg-laying within about 1.5 days. In contrast, without added broods, the pauses stretched to an average of 12.5 days.

This suggests that queens respond to cues from their developing offspring and time their reproductive efforts accordingly. “There’s something about the presence of pupae that signals it’s safe or necessary to start producing again,” Peto said. “It’s a dynamic process, not constant output like we once assumed.”

Eusocial insects, including bumble bees, feature overlapping generations, cooperative brood care, and a division of labor. Conventional thinking about these types of insects is that they’re producing young across all stages of development. However, Peto said this study challenges that conventional thinking about bumble bees, whose reproductive behavior is more nuanced and intermittent.

“What this study showed is that the queen’s reproductive behavior is much more flexible than we thought,” Peto said. “This matters because those early days are incredibly vulnerable. If a queen pushes too hard too fast, the whole colony might not survive.”

The study focused on a single species native to the eastern U.S., but the implications could extend to other bumble bee species or even other eusocial insects. Queens in other species may also pace themselves during solo nest-founding stages. If so, this built-in rhythm could be an evolutionary trait that helps queens survive long enough to raise a workforce.

Multiple bumblebee populations in North America are declining, largely due to habitat loss, pesticide exposure, and climate stress. Understanding the biological needs of queens, the literal foundation of each colony, can help conservationists better protect them.

“Even in a lab where everything is stable and they don’t have to forage, queens still pause,” Peto said. “It tells us this isn’t just a response to stress but something fundamental. They’re managing their energy in a smart way.”

This kind of insight is possible thanks to patient, hands-on observation, something Peto prioritized in her first research project as a graduate student.

“Without queens, there’s no colony. And without colonies, we lose essential pollinators,” Peto said. “These breaks may be the very reason colonies succeed.”