12 February 2026

Today’s Exemplar from Science Associate Editor Sarah Ross explores a new kind of vaccine. But first, catch up on the latest science news, including the weird eyes of deep-sea fishes.

Archaeology | News from Science

Pre-Incans’ prestigious poo

The Ballestas Islands off the coast of Peru’s Chincha and Pisco valleys are piled high with seabird guano. Jo Osborn

The Inca conquered countless civilizations on their way to becoming the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. But a coastal Peruvian lord from a people group called the Chincha held a special status within the empire: “He was the only person we know about that could ride in a litter in the presence of the Inca king ,” says archaeologist Frances Hayashida. “What people have wondered for a long time is why he had this special status.”

A study out this week in PLOS One suggests an answer: The Chincha harvested seabird poop and knew how to use it . The seafaring community were apparently adept at rafting out to guano-covered islands and collecting the nitrogen-rich excrement. A chemical analysis of 800-year-old maize cobs associated with Chincha graves revealed elevated nitrogen levels, suggesting farmers were using “the power of poop,” as archaeologist and study author Jacob Bongers put it, to fertilize crops and boost their yields.

That agricultural acumen may have earned them prestige when the Incans came knocking in the mid-1400s, the study authors allege, affording the Chincha special privileges within the empire.

Read the full story

Evolutionary Biology | Science Advances

There’s more to deep-sea vision than meets the eye

The vertebrate eye is a true jack-of-all-trades, having evolved to see in luminous forests and coral reefs as well as the darkness of the deep ocean. This versatile vision relies on two types of photoreceptors: cones, which are primed for bright light conditions, and rods for dim light. Evolutionary biologists have found that most vertebrate retinas develop cone cells first, adding rods later. Some deep-sea fishes, however, don’t appear to play by the rules.

In a new study, scientists analyzed genes expressed in the larvae of lightfish, hatchetfish, and lanternfish—all of which inhabit different parts of the deep sea. They found that, instead of following the simple “cones first, rods later” trajectory, these fishes develop “hybrid” photoreceptors that are rodlike in shape but also possess cone-specific genes . By combining characteristics from both cell types, the team reports, the fishes efficiently optimize their vision in the dimly lit ocean depths. While hatchetfish hold on to these rod-like cone cells throughout their lives, lightfish and lanternfish develop true rods upon reaching adulthood, eventually losing their ability to process bright light.

“Our findings advance our understanding of the evolutionary dynamics of vision in unconventional and extreme environments,” the researchers wrote, “and challenge the existing paradigms for the classification of photoreceptors and the development of vision in vertebrates.”

Read the paper

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Exemplar

A molecular model of an optimized DNA viruslike particle (DNA-VLP) displaying 60 copies of an antigen designed to elicit broadly neutralizing HIV antibodies. Romanov et al./Science (2026)

Romanov, A et al. DNA origami vaccines program antigen-focused germinal centers. Science 391 (2026). 10.1126/science.adx6291

Fake viruses made of DNA could make vaccines more effective

Sarah Ross, Associate Editor, Science

Vaccinations, which stimulate the immune system to allow it to build memory and resistance to specific infections, have had a profound impact on human health by reducing mortality and controlling severe infectious disease. More specifically, many vaccines are designed to activate B cells and promote the production of antibodies that neutralize and clear viruses and other pathogens before they can infect cells.

These antibodies recognize proteins found on the surface of a pathogen (dubbed antigens). Some viruses, such as HIV, influenza, and SARS-CoV-2, frequently mutate these antigens to evade recognition by the immune system; therefore, the effectiveness of vaccines can be short-lived. However, antibodies that recognize small, specific regions of a viral protein that, by necessity, do not mutate have the potential to provide long-term protection against viral variants and strains.

Unfortunately, it can be tricky to coax the immune system into making these broadly neutralizing antibodies . Each B cell is specialized to make a single antibody that recognizes a distinct part of one antigen. During an immune response, many different antigen-producing B cells develop, each with a different specificity. Vaccines made with inactivated or weakened viruses are not well equipped to zero in on the right B cells and often stimulate ones that produce undesirable antibodies, diluting the effectiveness of the vaccine.

Romanov et al. took an intriguing approach to target the rare precursor B cells that produce these antibodies: Employing so-called DNA origami —where DNA is used as a structural material—to organize and present an antigen previously designed to stimulate broadly neutralizing antibodies against HIV. These DNA viruslike particles (DNA-VLPs) resemble the structure of a real virus, and while they stimulate the immune system, they do not contain genetic material to make them infectious.

For me, the beauty of this study was the methodical examination of the ability of DNA-VLPs to elicit a desired immune response. The authors characterized how their prototype DNA-VLP stimulated antibody production in mice and reengineered their design to optimize its immunogenicity. The process through which B cells are stimulated by antigens is complex: It takes place in specific tissues, like lymph nodes, within transiently formed structures known as germinal centers, where other immune cells, including T cells, help to focus the B cell response. The team examined how the DNA-VLP penetrated tissues, and tinkered with the density of antigens and size of their DNA-VLP to overcome barriers that limited the delivery of the antigen to the site of B cell priming. Moreover, the final iteration of the DNA-VLP included an additional antigen that stimulates T cells to help out.

In comparison to an equivalent VLP with a protein scaffold, the optimized DNA-VLP enriched B cells producing the desired broadly neutralizing antibody over others. The team attributed the success of the DNA-VLP to the DNA structure being less immunogenic than the protein-based scaffold, so fewer unwanted B cells were stimulated following vaccination.

Although not yet ready for use in humans, I enjoyed the exploration of the DNA-VLP and was excited that the study provides a framework for exploiting DNA origami in vaccines for other viruses.

REad the RELATED Science PERSPECTIVE

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Et Cetera

Flip it and reverse it

As Comet 41P/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresák moved closer to the Sun, its spinning slowed until it completely stopped—and began spinning the other way. “We’ve seen changes in spin,” explained one of the researchers, “but not this big and so quick.”

arXiv Preprint | Read more at The New York Times

Going with the flow

You often hear about the “flow” of electrons in a current. But electrons don’t actually move like liquids—at least, they don’t usually. Now, researchers have figured out how to get electrons to behave more like water molecules, which could teach physicists more about their behavior. “It’s a very appealing showcase of something that can’t be explained in any textbook paradigm,” said one expert.

arXiv Preprint | Read more at Quanta Magazine

Instant carbon storage

New porous aromatic frameworks can store or release carbon dioxide at the flick of a light switch. The materials include a molecule that captures carbon when its atoms are arranged one way—a configuration it snaps into when hit with blue light—and releases carbon when in another orientation induced with green light. “CO₂ can be breathed in and, with a light flash, breathed out. Brilliant!” said one chemist who was not involved in the work.

PNAS Paper | Read more at Chemistry World

Just as your second or third cousin is no more primitive than you are, it is misleading to think of a koala or echidna as primitive because of where they are depicted on [evolutionary] trees.

The Conversation | 9 February 2026 | Kevin Omland

Last but not least

Today, I’m simply delighted by this piece from Payal Joshi about how taking pictures of birds made her a better chemist.

Christie Wilcox, Editor, ScienceAdviser

With contributions from Michael Price and Phie Jacobs

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