02/20/2026
Short Reports
In brood parasitism, prior work predicts a trade-off in the host's error rates from accepting foreign eggs and rejecting their own eggs. Tanmay Dixit, Claire Spottiswoode and co-workers combine comparative field experiments and simulations to reveal advantages when egg trait distributions are categorical, rather than continuous, with implications for other types of co-evolutionary arms races.
Image credit: Tanmay Dixit
Current Issue January 2026
02/19/2026
Research Article
Plasmids use immune systems like CRISPR-Cas to compete with other plasmids, but it is unclear when these systems provide a selective advantage. David Sünderhauf, Stineke van Houte and co-authors show that CRISPR-Cas benefits resident plasmids but is constrained by toxin-antitoxin systems after horizontal transfer.
Image credit: pbio.3003658
02/19/2026
Research Article
The social environment can influence organismal phenotypes in myriad ways, but the mechanisms and functions of such plasticity are incompletely understood. This study in an anemonefish, by Laurie Mitchell, Vincent Laudet and colleagues, shows that the timing of a color pattern transition responds to social conditions, and characterizes the mechanisms, evolutionary patterns and behavioral impact on social conflict.
Image credit: Camille Sautereau
02/18/2026
Methods and Resources
Ongoing community efforts aim to achieve a comprehensive genomic study of the entire family Drosophilidae. Pankaj Dhakad, Darren Obbard and co-workers present a comparative gene annotation for 301 species of Drosophilidae and find that codon usage correlates with overall GC content and evolves slowly, but is also strongly shaped by selection.
Image credit: Darren Obbard
02/18/2026
Short Reports
Photoreceptor cells exhibit variability in the morphology of the light-absorbing outer segment, the basis of which is unclear. This study in zebrafish, by Jingjin Xu, Chengtian Zhao and co-authors, reveals that the wavelength sensitivity of the expressed opsin and the intensity of light exposure determine outer segment morphology, with implications for our understanding of neuronal plasticity.
Image credit: Jingjin Xu
02/17/2026
Methods and Resources
Accurate RNA structure prediction remains challenging despite recent progress in computational approaches. Yang Li, Yang Zhang and colleagues develop a deep learning framework called DRFold2 that significantly enhances the accuracy of de novo RNA structure prediction by increasing contact prediction precision compared to existing methods.
Image credit: pbio.3003659
02/13/2026
Perspective
Current therapies for neurodegenerative diseases largely manage symptoms. This Perspective highlights emerging evidence that vaccines and antivirals may lower dementia risk by targeting viral triggers.
Image credit: pbio.3003669
02/11/2026
Perspective
Methodological improvements should, in theory, mean more robust evidence and inference. However, these methods are often subsequently used in the pursuit of publication for its own sake. Can we break this cycle?
Image credit: unknown via Wikimedia Commons
02/02/2026
Essay
The human sexes differ in autoimmunity, infections, cancer and responses to immunotherapy and vaccines. This Essay explores the major areas where further research is required to determine sex-differential mechanisms in immunity.
Image credit: pbio.3003578
01/27/2026
Editorial
Immunometabolism is more than just metabolic shifts in immune cells. This Editorial highlights a new collection of articles exploring effects of molecular, cellular and systemic metabolic mechanisms in health and disease.
Image credit: Shogo Suga & Koki Nakamura
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.
March 10 - 13
Meet Editor in Chief Nonia Pariente (npariente@plos.org)
March 11 - 13
Meet Magazine section Senior Editor Joanna Clarke (jclarke@plos.org).
March 16 - 17
(Attended remotely) Contact Magazine section Senior Editor Joanna Clarke (jclarke@plos.org)
March 22 - 25
Meet Senior Editor Ines Alvarez-Garcia (ialvarez-garcia@plos.org)
May 5 - 7
Meet Editor in Chief Nonia Pariente (npariente@plos.org)
Connect with Us