05/07/2026
Research Article
The GPR174 receptor modulates immune homeostasis by engaging distinct G protein pathways, but how hydration-mediated interactions influence its activation remain unclear. Ying-Jun Dong, Kun Xi, Ya-Zhi Zhang, Jian-Heng Xue, Dan-Dan Shen, and co-workers show that these networks stabilize the active-state conformation of GPR174 and reshape its intracellular cavity by enabling selectivity.
Image credit: pbio.3003447
Current Issue April 2026
05/05/2026
Research Article
Pavlovian approach–avoidance tendencies can disrupt flexible action control, but the causal contributions of specific neural regions remain unclear. Nomiki Koutsoumpari, Johannes Algermissen, Nadege Bault, Elsa Fouragnan and co-authors find that anterior insula stimulation reduces learning bias, while dorsal ACC stimulation increases perseveration bias, revealing distinct mechanisms through which these regions shape Pavlovian biases.
Image credit: Nomiki Koutsoumpari
05/05/2026
Research Article
Highly pathogenic influenza H5N1 viruses have recently spread to dairy cattle, but how is the virus transmitted between cattle on farms? AJ Campbell, Jason Lombard, Seema Lakdawala and colleagues detect infectious H5N1 in air samples from milking parlors and farm waste water, viral RNA in exhaled cow breath, and asymptomatic seroconversion in cows, highlighting multiple routes of virus spread.
Image credit: pbio.3003761
05/05/2026
Research Article
The fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans must adapt to the high carbon dioxide levels found in the human body relative to its natural, external environment. Laura Ristow, Damian Krysan and co-workers reveal that CO₂ tolerance depends on coordinated metabolic, oxidative, and membrane remodeling, partly via TOR–Ypk1 signaling.
Image credit: pbio.3003561
05/04/2026
Research Article
Past experience and our current goals guide what information to focus on. Damian Koevoet, Stefan Van der Stigchel and co-authors show that the brain represents the past and present in parallel, enabling both to guide what information we focus on at the same time.
Image credit: pbio.3003779
05/04/2026
Methods and Resources
The tree shrew is a key evolutionary bridge between primates and other mammals. Xiaojia Zhu, Cirong Liu, Yong-Gang Yao and colleagues present a comprehensive anatomical and connectivity atlas of the tree shrew brain, revealing that the spatial alignment between brain geometry and functional organization remains evolutionarily invariant.
Image credit: Xiaojia Zhu
04/22/2026
Community Page
Cilia dysfunction is implicated in a range of disorders. This Community Page presents CiliaKB, a knowledge base that serves as a one-stop platform for researchers to rapidly access mechanistic data and mine for translational clues about cilia.
Image credit: Donghui Zhang
04/21/2026
Essay
In this Essay, the evolution of life is construed as a ribosomal takeover, whereby the ribosome evolved to consume most of the cell’s resources, while other cellular componentry ensured the propagation of the ribosome, the ultimate biological selfish element.
Image credit: pbio.3003780
04/20/2026
Perspective
Equal contribution designations are on the rise, yet this information is routinely lost, creating inequity in recognition and crediting. This Perspective calls for improvements in transferring this information to indexing sites such as PubMed.
Image credit: Roli Roberts
04/16/2026
Consensus View
Evidence-based solutions are needed to help improve reproducibility in research. This Consensus View presents a consensus-based list of core reproducibility items for research.
Image credit: pbio.3003726
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.
Symbiosis research has become a holistic and pervasive field with a mature theoretical basis. This collection showcases symbiotic relationships across the tree of life, exploring their evolutionary basis and underlying mechanisms.
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Meet Associate Editor Melissa Vazquez Hernandez (mvazquezhernandez@plos.org)
May 18 - 22
Meet Senior Editor Ines Alvarez-Garcia (ialvarez-garcia@plos.org)
June 3 - 5
Meet Editor in Chief Nonia Pariente (npariente@plos.org)
June 8 - 11
Meet Magazine Senior Editor Joanna Clarke (jclarke@plos.org)
June 8 - 11
Meet Senior Editor Richard Hodge (rhodge@plos.org)
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