# Topics and Trends in Most Cited Physiological and biochemical adaptations Papers, Class of 2026

*Canonical URL: https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/physiological-and-biochemical-adaptations/2026*

## What topics and trends defined most-cited Physiological and biochemical adaptations research in the Class of 2026?

Research in physiological and biochemical adaptations is increasingly focused on thermal limits. The Class of 2026 highlights a sharp rise in studies on heat waves and temperature optimums, while generalized topics like osmoregulation and ecotoxicology declined, reflecting an urgent shift toward modeling extreme environmental stress.

## At a glance

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Field | Physiological and biochemical adaptations |
| Cohort label | Class of 2026 (2024 publications) |
| Papers analyzed | 3,472 |
| Papers ranked | 20 |
| Top topics in ranked papers | Oxidative stress, heat stress, thermal tolerance, transcriptomics |
| Publication window | Jan 1, 2024 – Dec 31, 2024 |
| Eligibility | Research articles; reviews excluded |
| Citation window | 18 months post-publication |
| 18m citation range | 23–45 |
| Data source | OpenAlex · Retrieved September 2026 |
| License | CC BY 4.0 |

## Rankings

| Rank | Title | Authors | Corresponding authors | Affiliation | Journal | 18m citations | DOI |
| ---: | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---: | --- |
| 1 | A lethal mitonuclear incompatibility in complex I of natural hybrids | Benjamin M Moran, Cheyenne Y Payne, Daniel L Powell, Erik N K Iverson, Alexandra E Donny, Shreya M Banerjee, Quinn K Langdon, Theresa R Gunn, Rebecca A Rodriguez-Soto, Angel Madero, John J Baczenas, Korbin M Kleczko, Fang Liu, Rowan Matney, Kratika Singhal, Ryan D Leib, Osvaldo Hernandez-Perez, Russell Corbett-Detig, Judith Frydman, Casey Gifford, Manfred Schartl, Justin C Havird, Molly Schumer | Benjamin M. Moran, Molly Schumer | Stanford University, United States | Nature | 45 | 10.1038/s41586-023-06895-8 |
| 2 | Metabolic loads and the costs of metazoan reproduction | Samuel C Ginther, Hayley Cameron, Craig R White, Dustin J Marshall | Samuel C. Ginther | Monash University, Australia | Science | 38 | 10.1126/science.adk6772 |
| 3 | Effects of chronic cold stress and thermal stress on growth performance, hepatic apoptosis, oxidative stress, immune response and gut microbiota of juvenile hybrid sturgeon (Acipenser baerii ♀ × A. schrenkii ♂) | Tianyu Liu, Ling Li, Yanchao Yang, Jiarou Li, Xutong Yang, Lei Li, Ziyao Zheng, Boyu Yang, Peiyu Zhang, Haiyan Liu | Tianyu Liu, Peiyu Zhang, Haiyan Liu | Hebei Normal University, China | Fish & Shellfish Immunology | 35 | 10.1016/j.fsi.2024.110078 |
| 4 | Acute stress response in gill of Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei to high alkalinity | Ruiqi Zhang, Xiang Shi, Jintao Guo, Xue Mao, Baoyi Fan | Ruiqi Zhang | Gansu Agricultural University, China | Aquaculture | 33 | 10.1016/j.aquaculture.2024.740766 |
| 5 | Oxidative stress induced by hydrogen peroxide disrupts zebrafish visual development by altering apoptosis, antioxidant and estrogen related genes | Febriyansyah Saputra, Mitsuyo Kishida, Shao-Yang Hu | Mitsuyo Kishida, Shao‐Yang Hu | Kumamoto University, Japan | Scientific Reports | 32 | 10.1038/s41598-024-64933-5 |
| 6 | The toxicity effects of imidacloprid and chlorpyrifos on oxidative stress and blood biochemistry in Cyprinus carpio | Mahdi Banaee, Amir Zeidi, Behzad Nematdoost Haghi, Amal Beitsayah | Mahdi Banaee | Behbahan Khatam Alanbia University of Technology, Iran | Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C Toxicology & Pharmacology | 32 | 10.1016/j.cbpc.2024.109979 |
| 7 | Drosophila immune cells transport oxygen through PPO2 protein phase transition | Mingyu Shin, Eunji Chang, Daewon Lee, Nayun Kim, Bumsik Cho, Nuri Cha, Ferdinand Koranteng, Ji-Joon Song, Jiwon Shim | Jiwon Shim | Hanyang University, South Korea | Nature | 30 | 10.1038/s41586-024-07583-x |
| 8 | Antifreeze proteins and surface-modified cellulose nanocrystals for designing anti-freezing conductive hydrogel sensors | Liangjiu Bai, Chenglin Yang, Xin Sun, Dongqi Yue, Wenxiang Wang, Hou Chen, Huawei Yang, Lixia Yang | Liangjiu Bai, Hou Chen | Ludong University, China | Carbohydrate Polymers | 30 | 10.1016/j.carbpol.2024.123056 |
| 9 | Physiological and transcriptomic analysis provides new insights into osmoregulation mechanism of Ruditapes philippinarum under low and high salinity stress | Tao Liu, Hongtao Nie, Jianfeng Ding, Zhongming Huo, Xiwu Yan | Hongtao Nie, Zhongming Huo | Dalian Ocean University, China | The Science of The Total Environment | 28 | 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173215 |
| 10 | Recent selection and introgression facilitated high-altitude adaptation in cattle | Yang Lyu, Fuwen Wang, Haijian Cheng, Jing Han, Ruihua Dang, Xiaoting Xia, Hui Wang, Jincheng Zhong, Johannes A Lenstra, Hucai Zhang, Jianlin Han, David E MacHugh, Ivica Medugorac, Maulik Upadhyay, Alexander S Leonard, He Ding, Xiaorui Yang, Ming-Shan Wang, Suolang Quji, Basang Zhuzha, Pubu Quzhen, Silang Wangmu, Nima Cangjue, Da Wa, Weidong Ma, Jianyong Liu, Jicai Zhang, Bizhi Huang, Xingshan Qi, Fuqiang Li, Yongzhen Huang, Yun Ma, Yu Wang, Yuanpeng Gao, Wenfa Lu, Chuzhao Lei, Ningbo Chen | Ningbo Chen | Northwest A&F University, China | 中国科学通报：英文版 | 28 | 10.1016/j.scib.2024.05.030 |
| 11 | Variation in temperature of peak trait performance constrains adaptation of arthropod populations to climatic warming | Samraat Pawar, Paul J Huxley, Thomas R C Smallwood, Miles L Nesbit, Alex H H Chan, Marta S Shocket, Leah R Johnson, Dimitrios -Georgios Kontopoulos, Lauren J Cator | Samraat Pawar, Paul J. Huxley, Lauren J. Cator | Imperial College London, United Kingdom | Nature Ecology & Evolution | 26 | 10.1038/s41559-023-02301-8 |
| 12 | Effects of saline and alkaline stresses on the survival, growth, and physiological responses in juvenile mandarin fish (Siniperca chuatsi) | Yan Li, Pengcheng Gao, Kai Zhou, Zongli Yao, Zhen Sun, Hecai Qin, Qifang Lai | Qifang Lai | East China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, China | Aquaculture | 26 | 10.1016/j.aquaculture.2024.741143 |
| 13 | Effects of Temperature and Light on Microalgal Growth and Nutrient Removal in Turtle Aquaculture Wastewater | Xiaosong Tian, Xiaoai Lin, Qing Xie, Jinping Liu, Longzao Luo | Longzao Luo | Chongqing Vocational Institute of Engineering, China | Biology | 26 | 10.3390/biology13110901 |
| 14 | Hidden impacts of ocean warming and acidification on biological responses of marine animals revealed through meta-analysis | Katharina Alter, Juliette Jacquemont, Joachim Claudet, María E Lattuca, María E Barrantes, Stefano Marras, Patricio H Manríquez, Claudio P González, Daniel A Fernández, Myron A Peck, Carlo Cattano, Marco Milazzo, Felix C Mark, Paolo Domenici | Katharina Alter | Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Netherlands | Nature Communications | 25 | 10.1038/s41467-024-47064-3 |
| 15 | A systematic map of studies testing the relationship between temperature and animal reproduction | Liam R. Dougherty, Fay Frost, Maarit I. Mäenpää, Melissah Rowe, Benjamin Cole, Ramakrishnan Vasudeva, Patrice Pottier, Eva Schultner, Erin L. Macartney, Ina Lindenbaum, J. L. Smith, Pau Carazo, Marco Graziano, Hester Weaving, Berta Canal Domènech, David Berger, Abhishek Meena, Tom R. Bishop, Daniel W. A. Noble, Pedro Simões, Julian Baur, Merel C. Breedveld, Erik Svensson, Lesley T. Lancaster, Jacintha Ellers, Alessio N. De Nardo, Marta A. Santos, Steven A. Ramm, Szymon M. Drobniak, Matteo Redana, Cristina Tuni, Natalie Pilakouta, Z. Valentina Zizzari, Graziella Iossa, Stefan Lüpold, Mareike Koppik, Regan Early, Clelia Gasparini, Shinichi Nakagawa, Malgorzata Lagisz, Amanda Bretman, Claudia Fricke, Rhonda R. Snook, Tom A. R. Price | Liam R. Dougherty | University of Liverpool, United Kingdom | Ecological Solutions and Evidence | 24 | 10.1002/2688-8319.12303 |
| 16 | Lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA)-mediated lactate generation promotes pulmonary vascular remodeling in pulmonary hypertension | Daiqian Wu, Shuo Wang, Fengxian Wang, Qing Zhang, Zhen Zhang, Xingbing Li | Zhen Zhang, Xingbing Li | The Third People's Hospital of Chengdu, China | Journal of Translational Medicine | 24 | 10.1186/s12967-024-05543-7 |
| 17 | Heatwave responses of Arctic phytoplankton communities are driven by combined impacts of warming and cooling | Klara K E Wolf, Clara J M Hoppe, Linda Rehder, Elisa Schaum, Uwe John, Björn Rost | Klara K. E. Wolf | University of Hamburg, Germany | Science Advances | 24 | 10.1126/sciadv.adl5904 |
| 18 | Two-stage evolution of mammalian adipose tissue thermogenesis | Susanne Keipert, Michael J Gaudry, Maria Kutschke, Michaela Keuper, Margeoux A S Dela Rosa, Yiming Cheng, José M Monroy Kuhn, Rutger Laterveer, Camila A Cotrim, Peter Giere, Fabiana Perocchi, Regina Feederle, Paul G Crichton, Dominik Lutter, Martin Jastroch | Susanne Keipert, Michael J. Gaudry, Martin Jastroch | Stockholm University, Sweden | Science | 24 | 10.1126/science.adg1947 |
| 19 | Comprehensive analysis of histophysiology, transcriptome and metabolome tolerance mechanisms in black porgy (Acanthopagrus schlegelii) under low temperature stress | Yue Wang, Mingjun Shen, Guangping Xu, Han Yu, Chaofeng Jia, Fei Zhu, Qian Meng, Dafeng Xu, Shuran Du, Dianchang Zhang, Zhiwei Zhang | Zhiwei Zhang | Shanghai Ocean University, China | The Science of The Total Environment | 23 | 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172318 |
| 20 | Warmer environmental temperature accelerates aging in mosquitoes, decreasing longevity and worsening infection outcomes | Jordyn S Barr, Lindsay E Martin, Ann T Tate, Julián F Hillyer | Julián F. Hillyer | Vanderbilt University, United States | Immunity & Ageing | 23 | 10.1186/s12979-024-00465-w |

## Topic trends

### What Stressors Define the Class of 2026?

The Class of 2026 in physiological and biochemical adaptations is overwhelmingly defined by research into organismal responses to extreme temperatures and physiological distress. Oxidative stress is the most prominent topic, appearing in 20% of the top papers, closely followed by heat stress (18%) and thermal tolerance (14%). These dominant themes reflect a strong focus on how organisms cope with challenging environmental conditions. Advanced methodologies like transcriptomics and metabolomics are heavily utilized to untangle these complex adaptation mechanisms at a molecular level. Overall, the leading research emphasizes understanding biological resilience in the face of shifting thermal environments and physiological demands.

*Leading research themes*

### How Did Research Priorities Shift from the Class of 2025 to the Class of 2026?

The transition to the Class of 2026 reveals a sharp pivot toward extreme climate impacts and specific thermal metrics. Concepts like temperature optimum and heat waves saw dramatic rises, surging from near invisibility in the previous year to prominent positions in the top literature. Similarly, the study of thermal performance curves saw a threefold increase, highlighting a drive to quantify precisely how organisms perform across temperature gradients. Conversely, more generalized physiological topics like osmoregulation, thermal acclimation, and ecotoxicology experienced significant declines, dropping by half compared to the previous year. This shift suggests a concentrated movement toward modeling immediate, severe climate stressors rather than broader physiological acclimation.

*How topics shifted year over year*

## Cite this ranking

```
Pepkio Research Index (PRI). Topics and Trends in Most Cited Physiological and biochemical adaptations Papers, Class of 2026. https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/physiological-and-biochemical-adaptations/2026. Accessed 2026-10-30.

Zheng Su, Tinsley Li, Thematic Shifts in Early-High-Impact Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics Research: A Bibliometric and Semantic Analysis. bioRxiv 2026.07.04.736459; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.04.736459
```