Latest spotLight
spotLights is an interview series dedicated to highlighting exciting new preprints in the biological sciences and the early-career researchers driving the work.
Preprint highlights, selected by the biological community
Oxidative stress triggers RNAPII arrest through PARylation and DNA damage
Human Assembloid Model of Emergent Neurotropic Enteroviruses
Selected by
Detergent-Triggered Membrane Remodelling Monitored via Intramembrane Fluorescence De-Quenching
Classical enhancers couple cis-regulatory logic with transcriptional condensates and 3D genome architecture
Selected by
Small Molecule Agonists of TREM2 Reprogram Microglia and Protect Synapses in Human Alzheimer’s Models
Selected by
A thirty-year trend of increasing clinical orientation at the National Institutes of Health; Prediction of transformative breakthroughs in biomedical research
Selected by
4,5-dihydroxyhexanoic acid is a robust circulating and urine marker of mitochondrial disease and its severity
Selected by
01 April 2026
Hannah Pletcher
A potential anti-amyloidogenic therapy for type 2 diabetes based on the QBP1 peptide
Selected by
01 April 2026
Joao Gabriel, Marcus Oliveira
Oxidative stress triggers RNAPII arrest through PARylation and DNA damage
Selected by
01 April 2026
Élise Jeanne Pouponnot, Pierre Caron
Human Assembloid Model of Emergent Neurotropic Enteroviruses
Selected by
01 April 2026
Mitchell Sarmie
Detergent-Triggered Membrane Remodelling Monitored via Intramembrane Fluorescence De-Quenching
Selected by
25 March 2026
Cyntia Alves Conceição, Marcus Oliveira
Classical enhancers couple cis-regulatory logic with transcriptional condensates and 3D genome architecture
Selected by
22 March 2026
Siddharth Singh
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New ‘spotLights’ Short: Anubhav takes the stage
After launching our very first YouTube Short with Teodora Piskova two weeks ago, we’re back with another video highlighting excellent (preprinted) work from within the preLights community. This time, in Episode 18 of spotLights, we hear from Anubhav Prakash, a postdoctoral researcher in the Wickström lab at the Max Planck…
| Posted on | 18 March 2026 |
Preprints without borders: SciELO Preprints’ push for multilingual, Open Science in Latin America and beyond
preLights recently spoke with Carolina Tanigushi who now looks after SciELO Preprints, the preprint server that is part of the SciELO Network. We talked about SciELO’s shift into an Open Science programme, the opportunities and challenges of running a preprint service across 16 national collections, and practical steps to boost…
| Posted on | 14 January 2026 |
Reflecting on 2025: Popular themes from preLights
As we head into 2026, it seems a good time to reflect on some popular preLights that were posted last year. From the discovery of novel (extra)cellular structures to the adoption of tools reshaping the way we study biological processes up close, these stories together provide a glimpse into the…
| Posted on | 7 January 2026 |
Keystone Symposium on Stem Cell Models in Embryology 2026
The Keystone Symposium on Stem Cell Models in Embryology, 2026, was organised by Jun Wu (UT Southwestern), Jianping Fu (University of Michigan) and Miki Ebisuya (TU Dresden) and held at Asilomar Conference Grounds in California (US). The meeting discussed recent advances made in establishing stem-cell-based embryo models, what fundamental insights into developmental processes have been gleaned from them, as well as how they are beginning to be applied more widely. This prelist contains preprints by presenters at the talk and poster sessions at the conference, which our Reviews Editor in attendance spotted. Please do reach out to preLights@biologists.com if you notice any that we’ve missed.
| List by | Ingrid Tsang |
SciELO preprints – From 2025 onwards
SciELO has become a cornerstone of open, multilingual scholarly communication across Latin America. Its preprint server, SciELO preprints, is expanding the global reach of preprinted research from the region (for more information, see our interview with Carolina Tanigushi). This preList brings together biological, English language SciELO preprints to help readers discover emerging work from the Global South. By highlighting these preprints in one place, we aim to support visibility, encourage early feedback, and showcase the vibrant research communities contributing to SciELO’s open science ecosystem.
| List by | Carolina Tanigushi |
November in preprints – DevBio & Stem cell biology
preLighters with expertise across developmental and stem cell biology have nominated a few developmental and stem cell biology (and related) preprints posted in November they’re excited about and explain in a single paragraph why. Concise preprint highlights, prepared by the preLighter community – a quick way to spot upcoming trends, new methods and fresh ideas.
| List by | Aline Grata et al. |
October in preprints – DevBio & Stem cell biology
Each month, preLighters with expertise across developmental and stem cell biology nominate a few recent developmental and stem cell biology (and related) preprints they’re excited about and explain in a single paragraph why. Short, snappy picks from working scientists — a quick way to spot fresh ideas, bold methods and papers worth reading in full. These preprints can all be found in the October preprint list published on the Node.
| List by | Deevitha Balasubramanian et al. |
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