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Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterium that causes listeriosis, a serious disease, can go into dormancy when confronted with environmental stress, for example in the presence of detergents or in water devoid of nutrients. It then becomes undetectable by the tests commonly used in the food industry and hospitals, thus representing a major health risk.

French cattle breeding faces a major challenge: the management of inbreeding and its corollary, the appearance of recessive genetic anomalies affecting the health and sustainability of herds. A proof-of-concept study conducted by INRAE geneticists, in partnership with the Institut de l'élevage (IDELE), ELIANCE, the 4 French veterinary schools (ENVF) and the main French breeding organizations and companies, proposes a new approach to identifying and countering these anomalies.

A European study, led by the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences with the participation of INRAE, reviewed 20 years of research into the effects of climate change on deer populations in Europe, Asia and North America. The review, published in Global Change Biology, covered 218 scientific articles and showed that while many deer populations benefit from warmer winters, they may not be able to adapt to hotter and drier summers, which could push the animals towards more northerly areas.

In a study published in the journal Cell on 19 September, an international research team led by scientists from CNRS 1 , the University of Arizona and Scripps Research in California has identified animal species likely to have served as intermediate hosts for SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nearly one in three cancers develops following chronic inflammation, whose origin remains unclear. In a new study, researchers from Inserm, CNRS, Université Claude-Bernard Lyon 1 and the Léon Bérard Centre at the Cancer Research Center of Lyon identified lymphocytes involved in the inflammatory processes and that are thought to be implicated in the generation of these cancers.

Scientists have deciphered the activation pathway of bemnifosbuvir 1 , a drug candidate initially in development to treat hepatitis C virus (HCV). The findings of the research team, led by CNRS scientists 2 , unlock new opportunities to boost the efficacy of this type of drug against other RNA viruses, such as the ones that cause Covid-19 and dengue fever.

In France, 46 regional cheeses possess protected designation of origin (PDO) status. France's rich regional landscapes, terroirs, shape the microbial diversity of PDO cheeses, giving rise to their unique flavours. Researchers from INRAE, CEA, CNAOL, and CNIEL made this remarkable discovery after analysing the bacteria, yeasts, and moulds found in over 2,000 samples of French PDO cheeses and in nearly 400 milk sources.

Prickles, wrongly named "thorns" for roses, have appeared in various plant species over hundreds of millions of years of evolution. An international research consortium, led by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in the USA and involving INRAE, has discovered the gene responsible for the presence of prickles in various plant species, including Roses.

Acute myeloid leukaemia is one of the deadliest cancers. Leukaemic stem cells responsible for the disease are highly resistant to treatment. A team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), University Hospital of Geneva (HUG), and Inserm has made a breakthrough by identifying some of the genetic and energetic characteristics of these stem cells.

When confronted with an antibiotic, toxic substance, or other source of considerable stress, bacteria are able to activate a defence mechanism using cell-to-cell communication to 'warn' unaffected bacteria, which can then anticipate, shield themselves and spread the warning signal. This mechanism 1 has just been described for the first time by a team of scientists 2 from CNRS and Université de Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier.

MRI image showing the reconstructed pulmonary valve (circled in red) that is closing perfectly 7 days after implantation. Fabien Kawecki/Inserm Researchers from Inserm have developed a pulmonary valve using human collagen. A device that could ultimately be a game-changer in the treatment of paediatric heart diseases, such as tetralogy of Fallot.

In France, 900 000 people have Alzheimer's disease or a related condition. The risk of developing Alzheimer's depends on genetic and environmental factors. Among these factors, various epidemiological studies suggest that the regular consumption of moderate amounts of caffeine slows age-related cognitive decline and the risk of developing the disease.

In France, 900,000 people suffer from Alzheimer's or a related disease. The risk of developing Alzheimer's disease depends on genetic and environmental factors. Among the latter, various epidemiological studies suggest that regular, moderate caffeine consumption slows age-related cognitive decline and the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

Genetic diversity is fundamental to the maintenance and resilience of species and ecosystems. In the context of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (CMBKM), of which France is a signatory, an international consortium, including INRAE, Claude Bernard Lyon 1 University and the Conservatoire d'espaces naturels d'Occitanie, has developed and demonstrated the feasibility of using 2 genetic diversity indicators based on existing and available data without the need for DNA.

Conserving genetic diversity is an essential part of maintaining the health and resilience of species and ecosystems. The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework is requiring its signatories, among them France, to use two genetic diversity indicators that can be estimated using readily available data that may or may not be DNA based.

Ageing greatly increases the risk of ischaemic stroke. A team of researchers from Inserm, Caen-Normandy University Hospital and Université de Caen Normandie have looked at the role that immune cells known as central nervous system-associated macrophages (CAMs) could play in the neurological damage that occurs following a stroke.

The sea worm Platynereis dumerilii is only a few centimetres long but has a remarkable ability: in just a few days, it can regenerate entire parts of its body after an injury or amputation. By focusing more specifically on the mechanisms at play in the regeneration of this worm's tail, a research team led by a CNRS scientist 1 has observed that gut cells play a role in the regeneration of the intestine as well as other tissues such as muscle and epidermis.

Comprising billions of microorganisms, the gut microbiota progressively matures after birth in humans and other animals. While environmental factors, and especially diet, are known to have a major influence on microbiota development and composition, the role of genetics remains a topic of debate. In a groundbreaking study recently published in Microbiome, INRAE researchers used pigs to experimentally demonstrate that gut microbiota composition is partly heritable.

Sheep are capable of learning a wide range of complex tasks. A research team from INRAE was able to prove this by training sheep to undergo MRI scans while awake-a world-first. This innovative method, which hinges on trainer-lamb cooperation, helps produce quality images without the need for anaesthesia.

A research team 1 led by scientists from CNRS and Université Grenoble Alpes has discovered that the injection of a modified "pseudo-prion" protein into the brains of mice could protect the animals against Alzheimer's disease, a pathology that currently affects nearly a million people in France. This neurodegenerative disease originates from lesions caused by an abnormal accumulation in the brain of two proteins: amyloid- and Tau.