August 20, 2025
Image credit: pbio.3002906 credit Andrea Sandmann
08/22/2025
Research Article
Our memory of a stimulus can be biased toward or away from previous stimuli, but when this bias arises is unclear. Jiangang Shan and coworkers show that attractive serial dependence emerges during decision-making, supported by neural evidence of late-stage attractive biases, while repulsive biases originate during early sensory encoding.
Image credit: pbio.3003333
Current Issue July 2025
08/21/2025
Research Article
Virus spillover into new host species can lead to outcomes ranging from dead-end infections to sustained epidemics. Clara Shaw and David Kennedy use a nematode-virus model to show that early spillover traits, especially infection prevalence and shedding, are important predictors of viral persistence.
Image credit: pbio.3003315
08/19/2025
Short Reports
Involuntary memory retrieval is a common phenomenon in autobiographical memory and a symptom of posttraumatic stress disorder. In an electroencephalography study, Malte Kobelt, Gerd Waldhauser, Nikolai Axmacher and colleagues elucidate the neural mechanism of involuntary memory, revealing that involuntary and voluntary memories rely on distinct neural processes.
Image credit: pbio.3003258
08/14/2025
Research Article
Immature neurons have been identified in the adult amygdala of some mammalian species, but their prevalence has not been systematically examined. Marco Ghibaudi, Luca Bonfanti and co-workers characterize amygdalar immature neurons in eight mammalian species, revealing phylogenetic variation and a high prevalence in primates.
Image credit: pbio.3003322
08/14/2025
Research Article
Plants encounter natural threats of varying intensity and respond by activating multiple defense traits. This study of six defense traits in Ambrosia artemisiifolia, by Jinlong Wan, Wei Huang and co-authors, reveals that when attacked by insect herbivores, less costly traits are induced first, while more costly traits are activated only after higher damage thresholds. Don't miss the accompanying Primer by Ethan Bass.
Image credit: pbio.3003280
08/14/2025
Research Article
How does the brain transfer motor skills between hands? Ali Rezaei, Jason Gallivan and colleagues reveal that transfer relies on re-expressing the neural patterns established during initial learning in distributed higher-order brain areas, offering new insights into learning generalization. Also see the Primer by Hiroshi Imamizu and Toshiyuki Kondo.
Image credit: pbio.3003268
08/21/2025
Perspective
Why are there so few pathogens, and what determines their emergence? John Drake argues in this Perspective that ecological and evolutionary forces (host availability, geographic exposure and microbial innovation) will shape future human diseases.
Image credit: pbio.3003329 credit pbio.3000815
08/11/2025
Essay
This Essay argues that experimental disease ecology can offer powerful tools and approaches to better understand and predict the epidemiological consequences of variable infection history.
Image credit: pbio.3003311
08/01/2025
Perspective
What happens when the greatest strengths of science – openness, humility, self-criticism and self-correction – are exploited for political gain? Brian Nosek calls for scientists to affirm the genuine application of those strengths as the source of its trustworthiness.
Image credit: Pixabay user Geralt
07/29/2025
Editorial
Cancer evolves through dynamic exchanges with its environment. This Editorial by Yibin Kang introduces a new Collection of articles that explore this tumor–environment crosstalk across temporal and spatial scales.
Image credit: Yujiao Han & Yibin Kang
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.
PLOS Biology is 20 and we are celebrating with a collection that contains articles that look back at landmark studies that we published, others that look past and future, and others discussing how publishing and open science have evolved and what is to come.
.
August 26 - 30
Meet Senior Editor Richard Hodge (rhodge@plos.org)
September 9 - 12
Meet Senior Editor Ines Alvarez-Garcia (ialvarez-garcia@plos.org)
September 16 - 19
Meet Editor in Chief Nonia Pariente (npariente@plos.org)
September 25 - 28
Meet Senior Editor Christian Schnell (cschnell@plos.org)
October 5 - 7
Meet Senior Editor Richard Hodge (rhodge@plos.org)
Connect with Us