Map of Life

The US National Science Foundation is committing $19 million to establish a national biological observatory that will map living organisms and ecosystems in three dimensions. The initiative aims to create large-scale 3D imaging data of biological life, giving researchers new tools to study biodiversity, organism structure and environmental change across the country.

Warsaw's Młociny district has opened a public inventory of urban biodiversity, documenting plant and animal life in the area. The initiative makes records of local species accessible to residents, reflecting a broader push by European cities to map and protect green spaces within urban environments.

A new update to the Map of Life project adds four species, including the Paraselachimorpha, shown in the top left corner of the map. The project, shared in science communication circles, illustrates evolutionary relationships between life forms and invites readers to explore previous versions on the project's website.

The US National Science Foundation has approved funding for a research collaboration led by University of California, Berkeley to sequence the genomes of Antarctic organisms. The project aims to map the genetic makeup of life in Antarctica, aiding studies of evolution, biodiversity and how polar species respond to climate change.

A line attributed to the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus is being shared in reading and philosophy circles: "The soul is undiscovered, though explored forever to a depth beyond report." The fragment, from the surviving Fragments, draws attention for its strikingly modern take on the limits of self-knowledge, prompting readers to pass it along and reflect on how little of the inner life can ever be fully mapped or described.

New research is mapping the microclimates created beneath solar panels, where shade and cooler temperatures could support native vegetation. Scientists hope the findings will guide the design of solar farms so renewable energy installations also restore or protect plant life, turning energy infrastructure into habitat. The approach, known as agrivoltaics or ecovoltaics, is drawing attention as solar deployment expands worldwide.

10x Genomics has begun shipping Atera, which the company describes as a breakthrough spatial biology platform. The launch gives researchers new tools to map cells and molecules directly in tissue, a fast-growing area of life sciences. Announcements of the shipment circulated widely among biotech and genomics observers following the release.

A new genetic map of wild tomato species shows breeders exactly where to find flavor traits lost during decades of breeding for shelf life and yield. Researchers identified the genes behind the sugars and volatiles that give wild fruit its taste, opening the door to tastier commercial tomatoes. The work is being picked up across science media as a fix for the long-running complaint that supermarket tomatoes are bland.