Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · 9 October 2026 · From issue 50

Multiple-oxygen isotope constraints on aerobic respiration and gross primary productivity

In lab bacteria, oxygen breathing speed changes the isotope signal scientists use to measure plant growth worldwide.

Eleanor R. Hughes, Kevin M. Sutherland et al.

Integrity screen: passed (3 checks) Checked 12 October 2026. Read the source

The plain-language reading of this paper is in the full issue, for subscribers.

Read the full issue

Get it free, every two days

Five papers free every issue, about 15 emails a month. No spam. Leave in one click.

Also in issue 50 15 papers

A gut microbe's strains differ widely, and some may weaken immune tolerance.
Nature Communications
In a comet simulation, a simple ice-and-crust model matched real spacecraft data on one comet region.
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
A new lab test shows soil melanin levels closely track total soil carbon amounts.
Nature Communications
A computer program lets cell microscopes use far less damaging light and film much longer.
Nature Communications
In zebrafish embryos, only some copies of a key gene's instructions get used to make protein at once.
Science Advances
In a lab device, atoms and light recalled seven times more memories than a standard memory model.
Science
In a computer model, sparse brain-like spikes controlled movement efficiently and stayed stable under noise and damage.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Brains of humans and rats both detect hidden millisecond-level timing patterns in click sounds.
PLOS Biology
Bismuth's melting point rises fast under pressure, then flattens as its liquid structure reorganizes.
Physical Review Letters
In mouse cells, one protein called SETDB1 keeps young virus-like DNA fragments switched off.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
The year 2024 had the most extreme rainstorms recorded worldwide since 1979.
Science Advances
In lab and pig lung tests, a bronchoscope robot sensed side contact in under 10 milliseconds.
Science Advances
In computer models, one blood flow reading can reveal how stiff an artery is.
PNAS Nexus
Small chemical tags on plant compounds changed their hormone like potency by a hundred thousand fold.
PNAS Nexus

More from Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

In mice, a weakened autism-linked gene breaks motor brain wiring, but early exercise helps fix it.
Issue 59 · 30 October 2026
In simulations, special "magic number" vortex patterns made the whole energy map far simpler.
Issue 59 · 30 October 2026
Different flat surfaces on clay grab heavy rare earth metals in different ways depending on water acidity.
Issue 59 · 30 October 2026
In mice, a stress protein weakens brain energy use and hurts memory and learning.
Issue 58 · 28 October 2026
A tiny needle pressed into pure metal briefly creates new crystal grains, then erases them.
Issue 58 · 28 October 2026