University of Valencia

Rising sea temperatures are promoting the spread of Vibrio vulnificus, the marine bacterium nicknamed the “carnivore,” which can cause serious infections. Last summer, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) warned of an increased risk during the summer months, especially in the Baltic Sea. This bacterium has also been identified along the Spanish coast, but experts explain that swimming in the Mediterranean is safe for the general public, as the bacterium thrives in waters with lower salinity. Even so, they recommend that vulnerable individuals remain vigilant and avoid swimming if they have open wounds.

According to an observational study, from which no causal relationship can be inferred, each additional hour per day of sedentary behaviour is associated with a 10% increase in the risk of death from cancer. The association depends not only on total sedentary time, but also on how it is accumulated: if that hour of inactivity is interrupted, the risk is reduced by 19%. In addition, replacing one hour of sedentary behaviour with light physical activity reduces the risk by 12%. The study, published in PLOS Medicine, included nearly 91,300 participants from the UK Biobank who were monitored for seven days using an accelerometer and followed for a median of 12.38 years.

The team led by scientist Kate Adamala of the University of Minnesota has released the news—under an embargo—to several media outlets regarding the creation of a synthetic cell capable of feeding, growing, and replicating, which they have named Spudcell. Their work, which, according to Science News, was rejected by the journal Cell, is published on the team’s website, pending peer review.

An international team has analyzed data collected between 1990 and 2024 from nearly one million people in seven countries regarding their body mass index, cholesterol levels, and blood pressure. The results indicate that, in adults over 40, these levels have been converging, becoming quite similar overall in obese and non-obese individuals, possibly due to the widespread use of treatments. Despite these findings, the authors note that there are other risks associated with obesity not included in the study, such as diabetes, kidney disease, and cancer, among others. The work is published in The Lancet. 

The origin and the process by which eukaryotic cells arose remains one of the great unanswered questions in biology, with Lynn Margulis’s theories regarding the incorporation of a bacterium that would later become the mitochondrion marking a major turning point. Now, Spanish research carried out by IRB Barcelona and the Barcelona Supercomputing Center challenges this view. Without denying the role of mitochondria, it suggests that the process was longer and more complex than previously thought, stretching over hundreds of thousands of years. At least two other different bacteria contributed to the development of eukaryotic cells, and giant viruses appear to have acted as vehicles for genetic transfer. The findings, published in Nature, suggest a much more protracted and gradual process of exchange between microorganisms.

A global analysis of data from more than 232 million people shows that the rise in obesity has slowed or stabilised in some high-income countries since the 1990s among children and adolescents, and, a decade later, among adults. In Spain, this stabilisation or even a slight decline is also observed. In most low- and middle-income regions, the prevalence of obesity continues to increase and, in some cases, has already surpassed that of more developed economies. The study, published in Nature, included 4,050 studies covering the period from 1980 to 2024 across 200 countries.

GLP-1 medicines for the treatment of obesity show considerable variability between individuals. Using data from 23andMe, scientists at this genetic testing company conducted genome-wide association studies in nearly 28,000 people treated with these drugs, analysing self-reported weight loss and adverse effects. Their findings, published in Nature, identified variations in two genes involved in gut hormone pathways that regulate appetite and digestion, although the authors caution that the effects of genetics appear to be modest.

Adopting a healthy diet at age 45 can add between two and three years to life expectancy in men, and between 1.5 and 2.3 years in women, according to a study based on data from more than 103,000 people in the United Kingdom. The positive impact is greater for men who follow a diabetes risk reduction diet (DRRD) and for women who follow a Mediterranean-style diet (AMED), says the article published in Science Advances.

Various studies have shown that exercise benefits the brain. Now, an international team has studied in mice how physical activity affects the brain and how these changes influence the effects of exercise. The research, published in Neuron, has shown that physical activity causes brain changes in a region of the hypothalamus involved in how the body uses energy and in regulating blood sugar. If these neurons were blocked immediately after exercise, the animals showed no improvement in endurance or metabolism with training. The authors suggest that activating these neurons may help the body recover faster, allowing other parts, such as the muscles, lungs, and heart, to adapt more quickly to more intense workouts.

Science journal has published a global map showing exposure to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) through the consumption of fish products. PFAS are substances that are difficult to break down, meaning they can accumulate in the body, and some are linked to health problems. The authors collected data over 20 years from PFAS measurements in the marine environment and fisheries, and mapped the concentrations of these compounds in more than 200 species of marine fish. The study shows that international fish trade redistributes the risk of PFAS exposure from highly polluted regions to less exposed areas, with European trade playing a key role in increasing the risk of exposure to these substances.