10/29/2026
Research Article
Goal-directed behavior requires sensory information to be transformed into motor commands, but the structure of this sensorimotor communication in the brain is unclear. Yadollah Ranjbar-Slamloo and Tsukasa Kamigaki show that brief, selective, feedforward coupling transmits sensory representations into motor-planning circuits.
Image credit: pbio.3004095
Current Issue September 2026
10/29/2026
Research Article
Tracking evolution in organisms with high mutation rates is challenging. Eva Bons, Hélène Chabas, Roland Regoes and co-workers use rapid experimental evolution to reveal a high degree of parallelism at the level of whole genomes in the evolution of bacteriophage populations.
Image credit: pbio.3004064
10/29/2026
Research Article
Do viruses really cause less disease in bats compared to other mammals? A comprehensive analysis of over 80 years of infection experiments, by Maxwell Farrell, Daniel Streicker and co-authors, reveals that bats experience disease and mortality at similar levels to rodents, challenging long-held assumptions about bat-specific adaptations to withstand viruses and their biomedical potential.
Image credit: Jocelyn Perez Lazo
10/27/2026
Short Reports
Bacteriophages encode lysis proteins that inhibit essential bacterial processes. Kaito Hosoda, Hidetaka Kohga, Tomoya Tsukazaki and colleagues solve the cryo-EM structure of the complex between the essential E. coli lipid II flippase MurJ and a phage lysis protein SglPP7, demonstrating that SglPP7 locks MurJ in an outward facing conformation.
Image credit: pbio.3004039
10/27/2026
Short Reports
What impact does pollinator abundance and behavior have on sexual selection in flowering plants? Estelle Barbot, Jeanne Tonnabel and co-workers use bumblebees and Brassica rapa to show that pollen competition for ovules is the primary arena for sexual selection.
Image credit: pbio.3003579
10/26/2026
Research Article
Forecasts of whether marine species can survive climate change rely largely on tolerance assays at one developmental stage. This study of the tolerance of clams to end-century ocean acidification, by Hao Song, Tao Zhang and co-authors, reveals cross-stage conflicts that impact the direction and magnitude of adaptation.
Image credit: pbio.3004079 credit Hao Song
10/30/2026
Editorial
Research into neurodegeneration is often confined to a single disease, cell type or mechanism. This Editorial highlights a new collection of articles that explore neurodegeneration within its physiological context.
Image credit: Lena Spieth & Stefan Berghoff
10/28/2026
Perspective
Vascular alterations have been implicated in Alzheimer’s disease, but a pathological role has not been shown. This Perspective calls for longitudinal studies to link molecular and structural changes to vascular function.
Image credit: pbio.3004051
10/26/2026
Perspective
Crossing the blood–brain barrier is no longer a problem for delivering therapeutics to the brain. This Perspective argues that the main challenge is now how to deliver therapeutics to the right cells, in the right regions, to target neurodegeneration.
Image credit: pbio.3004049
10/19/2026
Essay
Neurons in the CNS are often more vulnerable to damage during neurodegeneration than in the PNS. This Essay argues that differences in how these neurons react to oxidative stress, a major contributor to neurodegenerative disease, could provide a reason why.
Image credit: pbio.3004032
Aging affects us all, but we still do not know how the process evolves or if we can modulate its pace. This issue of PLOS Biology presents a Collection of articles that explores different aspects of aging, discussing what challenges still need to be overcome.
This PLOS Biology collection aims to shine a light on the many facets of immunometabolism, highlighting how molecular and cellular mechanisms impact diverse tissue and organismal functions and the exciting potential for leveraging immunometabolism for therapeutic interventions.
Recent technological advancements in omics have unveiled the mechanisms governing tumor progression across spatial and temporal scales. This collection reveals the complexities of the crosstalk between cancer cells and the tumor microenvironment.
Neurotechnology offers unprecedented opportunities to treat neural disorders, restore brain function and enhance cognitive abilities. This collection explores the present and possible futures of neurotechnology to improve human health and cognition.
Translating conservation and biodiversity research from the field into the real world is a complex problem. This collection discusses issues around economics, policy, and how to do research that answers questions that decision makers have.
November 12 - 15
Meet Senior Editor Ines Alvarez-Garcia (ialvarez-garcia@plos.org)
November 14 - 18
Meet Associate Editor Taylor Hart (thart@plos.org)
November 17 - 20
Meet Magazine Section Senior Editor Joanna Clarke (jclarke@plos.org).
December 7 - 9
Meet Senior Editor Richard Hodge (rhodge@plos.org)
December 14 - 17
Meet Senior Editor Roli Roberts (rroberts@plos.org)
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