The bacteria behind chlamydia can colonize the gut, and from that hiding place, they may act as a source of repeated infections, new research using miniature intestines suggests.

Chlamydia is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) worldwide. The form of the infection that affects humans is caused by a species of bacteria known as Chlamydia trachomatis.

The disease most often affects the genital region, sometimes causing pain and unusual discharge from the vagina or penis. However, over the years, research in mice and various clinical reports in humans have suggested that C. trachomatis may also be able to infect the human digestive tract. This means that, theoretically, the bacteria could hide in the gut and then cause repeated genital infections, which commonly occur in patients despite treatment with antibiotics.

Yet, until now, scientists haven't been able to test this theory in human cells.

Chlamydia may hide in the gut and cause repeated infections

A mini model of the human intestines suggests that chlamydia bacteria can colonize the gut, potentially contributing to recurrent infections.

^{Emily Cooke (Live Science)}

Key points

• The hippocampus enables abstract reasoning; LLMs mirror this through pattern-based language prediction.
• Future AI could emulate human inference by integrating multimodal learning and reinforcement methods.
• AI's evolution hinges on bridging prediction and reasoning, moving toward deeper, human-like understanding.

Predicting "the next word" may be the understatement of the century.

Predicting the next word may be the understatement of the century—LLMs are on the cusp of inferring the future.

^{John Nosta (Psychology Today)}

A new study published in Nature Microbiology has pioneered the use of a single-celled parasite, Toxoplasma gondii, to inject therapeutic proteins into brain cells. The brain is very picky about what it lets in, including many drugs, which limits treatment options for neurological conditions.

As a professor of microbiology, I’ve dedicated my career to finding ways to kill dangerous parasites such as Toxoplasma. I’m fascinated by the prospect that we may be able to use their weaponry to instead treat other maladies.

Toxoplasma gondii: Why a brain parasite could be the key to treating neurological diseases

Researchers have engineered the brain-invading parasite Toxoplasma gondii to deliver therapeutic proteins into neurons, offering a potential new treatment for neurological disorders like Rett syndrome, though significant challenges remain before it c…

^{Bill Sullivan (PsyPost)}

Details of the model, which is called RTDetective, are provided in a new paper published in Nature Genetics titled, “Genome-scale quantification and prediction of pathogenic stop codon readthrough by small molecules.” Its developers believe that the tool could be helpful in the design, development, and efficacy of clinical trials of drugs referred to as nonsense suppression therapies.

Understanding these drugs requires some background on truncated protein translation due to premature termination codons. This phenomenon has been linked to approximately 10–20% of inherited diseases including some types of cystic fibrosis and Duchenne muscular dystrophy. It is also a major mechanism by which tumor suppressor genes are inactivated in cancer.

New Computational Model Matches Drugs to Protein Synthesis Disruptors in Hereditary Diseases, Cancer

The model could ultimately improve the design and development, and ensure the efficacy of drug trials for patients with these conditions.

^{GEN Staff (GEN - Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News)}

The Neolithic farmers and herders who built a massive stone chamber in southern Spain nearly 6,000 years ago possessed a good rudimentary grasp of physics, geometry, geology and architectural principles, finds a detailed study of the site.

Using data from a high-resolution laser scan, as well as unpublished photos and diagrams from earlier excavations, archaeologists pieced together a probable construction process for the monument known as the Dolmen of Menga. Their findings, published on 23 August in Science Advances, reveal new insights into the structure and its Neolithic builders’ technical abilities.

Stone Age builders had engineering savvy, finds study of 6000-year-old monument

A survey of the Dolmen of Menga suggests that the stone tomb’s Neolithic builders had an understanding of science.

^{Smith, Roff}

Researchers have discovered a “spatial grammar” in DNA that redefines the role of transcription factors in gene regulation, influencing our understanding of genetic variations and disease.

A recently uncovered code within DNA, referred to as “spatial grammar,” may unlock the secret to how gene activity is encoded in the human genome.

This breakthrough finding, identified by researchers at Washington State University and the University of California, San Diego and published in Nature, revealed a long-postulated hidden spatial grammar embedded in DNA. The research could reshape scientists’ understanding of gene regulation and how genetic variations may influence gene expression in development or disease.

Scientists Discover “Spatial Grammar” in DNA: Breakthrough Could Rewrite Genetics Textbooks

Researchers have discovered a "spatial grammar" in DNA that redefines the role of transcription factors in gene regulation, influencing our understanding of genetic variations and disease.

^{Colin Collins (SciTechDaily)}

• Researchers have just found evidence of “dark electrons”—electrons you can’t see using spectroscopy—in solid materials.
• By analyzing the electrons in palladium diselenide, the team was able to find states that functionally cancel each other out, blocking the electrons in those “dark states” from view.
• The scientists believe this behavior is likely to be found across many other substances as well, and could help explain why some superconductors behave in unexpected ways.

Scientists Found Dark Electrons: a Secret Quantum State Hidden in Solid Matter

^{Jackie Appel (Popular Mechanics)}