Biological Diversity

A new legal filing is challenging a Trump administration move to allow the killing of endangered wildlife. The challenge was filed by the Center for Biological Diversity, which argues the policy change threatens protections for imperiled species. The move has drawn attention from conservation groups concerned about weakening the Endangered Species Act.

Researchers have compiled a catalog of mitochondria spanning the tree of life, revealing that the energy-producing organelles carry out a far wider range of unusual functions than previously recognized. The survey suggests mitochondria are not uniform across species, with structural and functional variations that may reshape understanding of cellular evolution and biology across diverse organisms.

The Center for Biological Diversity has filed a legal petition urging Trump administration officials to strengthen protections for America’s food supply from pesticide residues. The petition presses regulators to tighten limits on chemicals found in food and to enforce stronger safety standards. It is the latest in a series of environmental and public health groups’ challenges to federal pesticide policy.

Environmental groups Earthjustice and the Center for Biological Diversity have filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's approval of an international deep-sea mining exploration permit. The suit contests the government's greenlighting of seabed mineral exploration in international waters, a move conservationists argue threatens fragile ocean ecosystems that remain largely unexplored and could set a precedent for unchecked commercial extraction of the deep sea.

New research in mouse brains suggests that many autism-linked genetic variants produce effects that converge on two distinct molecular patterns, rather than acting through entirely separate pathways. The finding, reported by The Transmitter, could help explain how varied genetic risk factors lead to shared features of autism and may guide future research into common biological mechanisms underlying the condition.