iScience (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2026.115766"> Across six model organisms, RNA-binding protein (RBP) family diversity increased alongside neuron count—from nematode worms to humans—suggesting a potential link to nervous system complexity. The study's author says this may also help explain why vertebrate nervous systems are especially vulnerable to RBP-related disorders. Credit: iScience (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2026.115766 Biologists have long puzzled over why organisms with similar numbers of protein-coding genes can differ so dramatically in nervous system complexity. New research points to a potential link between the expanding diversity of RNA-binding proteins, which shape how genetic instructions are processed, and greater brain sophistication. As more and more genomes of model organisms were sequenced, scientists quickly understood that the number of genes an organism possesses doesn't always correlate with the complexity of an organism. This fact is referred to as the G-value paradox.…