This Week in Science: Vampire Squid Genome, 50‑Million‑Light‑Year Rotating Filament, Alzheimer’s Advance and More

This week’s science highlights include a potential new avenue for treating Alzheimer’s in mice, a newly identified tipping point for frailty in older adults, the sequencing of the enormous vampire‑squid genome, the world’s largest dinosaur tracksite, a newly discovered tick‑borne bacterium, and the longest known rotating filament of galaxies.

Sox9 Boost Stimulates Astrocytes and Reverses Alzheimer’s Markers in Mice

Researchers found that increasing levels of the protein Sox9 in the brain activates astrocytes — support cells that clear debris and maintain neuronal health — driving them into a higher‑activity state and reversing multiple markers of cognitive decline in mice engineered to model Alzheimer’s disease. The team emphasizes this is preclinical work: it points to enhancing glial cleanup mechanisms as a complementary strategy to neuron‑focused or anti‑amyloid approaches.

“Most current treatments focus on neurons or try to prevent the formation of amyloid plaques,” neuroscientist Benjamin Deneen said. “This study suggests that enhancing astrocytes' natural ability to clean up could be just as important.”

Frailty Tipping Point Found Around Age 73–76

Canadian investigators analyzed longitudinal health data and identified a tipping point at roughly age 73–76, after which the rate of health setbacks outpaces recovery for most people. Before that window, recovery from deficits can keep pace with new problems; beyond it, deficits accumulate more rapidly. The finding may help target prevention and resilience strategies in older adults.

Vampire Squid Genome Sheds Light on Cephalopod Evolution

Biologists sequenced the huge genome of the so‑called "vampire squid from hell" and found its DNA places it genetically between modern squid and octopus lineages. The genome appears to retain ancestral features that predate the divergence of those groups, offering insight into early cephalopod evolution.

“The vampire squid retains a genetic heritage that predates both [squid and octopus] lineages,” genomicist Emese Tóth of the University of Vienna said. “It gives us a direct look into the earliest stages of cephalopod evolution.”

Carreras Pampa: Nearly 18,000 Dinosaur Tracks in Bolivia

Researchers have declared Bolivia’s Carreras Pampa the world’s largest known dinosaur tracksite, documenting almost 18,000 individual footprints and traces that include behaviors consistent with swimming. The team highlighted the exceptional preservation, high track count, and behavioural diversity recorded at the site.

“The quality of preservation, the exceptionally high number of tracks, and the diversity of behaviors recorded make the Carreras Pampa tracksite one of the premier dinosaur track sites in the world,” the researchers wrote.

New Tick‑Borne Bacterium in the U.S.: Rickettsia finnyi

U.S. scientists identified a previously unknown spotted‑fever‑group bacterium that has been associated with fatal infections in dogs and could pose a zoonotic risk. Genome sequencing showed the organism is a distinct species now named Rickettsia finnyi, after the dog "Finny" whose blood led to the discovery. Public‑health follow‑up is warranted to determine any human risk.

50‑Million‑Light‑Year Rotating Filament Reveals Cosmic Spin Link

Astronomers have detected a filament of galaxies roughly 50 million light years long that exhibits coherent rotation. The structure’s dual motion — individual galaxies spinning while the entire filament rotates — provides rare observational evidence about how galaxies may gain angular momentum from the large‑scale cosmic web.

“You can liken it to the teacups ride at a theme park,” said physicist Lyla Jung of the University of Oxford. “Each galaxy is like a spinning teacup, but the whole platform – the cosmic filament – is rotating too. This dual motion gives us rare insight into how galaxies gain their spin from the larger structures they live in.”

Other items this week covered advances in diabetes research, novel insulin delivery ideas, aurora science, and unconventional studies such as signaling in bees, all summarized in the regular science roundup.