Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · 17 September 2026 · From issue 38

Cross-feeding enables robust coexistence between four bacterial species

In lab dishes, four bacteria species coexisted across 31 food setups by sharing leftover waste.

Snorre Sulheim, Miguel Teixeira et al.

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Also in issue 38 15 papers

Tracking blood test changes over years spotted cancer better than checking one result alone.
PLOS Medicine
In mice, maternal infection during pregnancy harmed some male embryos but never female ones.
Science Advances
Sharing subsidy savings through cash aid cuts poverty without losing pollution cuts, a model shows.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
A newly found bacterial defense system reads virus DNA using a gapped, skipping code.
Science
A DNA-folding protein helps copying machines slow down safely instead of breaking under stress.
Nature
In lab tests, a learning program designed magnetic pulses by trying them on real samples.
Science Advances
Spin measurements have tested physics rules for a century and still guide dark matter searches today.
Science Advances
A new framework sorts animal pattern formation into two basic types of rules.
Nature Communications
In Congo, hospitals with steady power had 41% fewer patient deaths than those without it.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
A 1900s book on samurai ethics has a moral pattern that predicts Western interest in similar texts.
PNAS Nexus
Weak, breakable links steer virus-like shells to build themselves into one correct shape.
Nature
In lab tests, salicylic acid locks a plant receptor onto a helper protein to switch on defenses.
Nature
In mice, the spleen filters out overactive blood clotting cells to prevent harmful clots.
Science
Quakes near a North Korean nuclear test site grew stronger for years after testing stopped.
Science

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