Two articles about sperm

 

Yes, sperm is important.  So let's look at the new research.

Imagine that --

Wildfire Smoke Linked to Sperm Quality Decline

Reference: Lindell LX, Holt SK, Petersen E, et al. Wildfire smoke exposure is associated with decreased sperm concentration and total motile sperm count. Fertility and Sterility, 2025. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2025.08.031

"The research, published in Fertility and Sterility, encompassed an analysis of semen samples from 84 men who provided sperm for intrauterine insemination procedures between 2018 and 2022. Major wildfire smoke events in the Seattle area occurred in 2018, 2020 and 2022. By comparing semen analyses collected before and during wildfire seasons, the researchers were able to track changes in sperm health.

“This study takes advantage of our institution’s location in the Puget Sound region, where wildfire smoke events create distinct pre- and post-exposure periods in a natural experiment to examine how a sudden, temporary decline in air quality influences semen parameters,” the authors wrote.

The team found consistent declines in sperm concentration, total sperm count, total motile (movement-capable) sperm count, and total progressively motile sperm count during wildfire smoke exposure. One measure, the percentage of progressively motile sperm, showed a slight increase, though it was not enough to offset the overall reductions in sperm quality."

 

Well, if sperm quality is a problem, then supercharge them!

Molecular “Switch” That Supercharges Sperm Identified

Reference: 

Violante S, Kyaw A, Kouatli L, et al. Sperm meet the elevated energy demands to attain fertilization competence by increasing flux through aldolase. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA. 2025;122(39):e2506417122. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2506417122

"Before ejaculation, mammalian sperm rest in a low-energy state. Afterward, as they swim through the female reproductive tract, they undergo a series of changes that ultimately help them reach and fertilize an egg. These include swimming with quick, vigorous movements, as well as a change to the membranes that will encounter an egg. ... 

By leveraging facilities such as MSU’s Mass Spectrometry and Metabolomics Core, the study paints a fuller picture of the high-energy, multistep process required for sperm to reach their goal of fertilization.

This includes the discovery that a particular enzyme called aldolase helps sperm convert glucose into energy and that sperm even utilize molecular fuel that they already have on board when they begin their trek."

So, get more aldolase!