Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Detailed structure of understudied cell division 'nanomachine' revealed
Researchers have revealed, at high-resolution, the structure of a human protein complex named SIN3B, which is a 'nanomachine' involved in regulating cell division. Cell division is a fundamental process for...
Suspected Russian spy whale is looking for love in all the wrong places
A beluga whale that was discovered wearing a suspicious harness in 2019 is on the move in search of other belugas. But it's heading in the wrong direction.
The role of global DNA methylation in rat limb bud development in vitro
A team of leading Croatian researchers at the Center of Excellence in Reproductive and Regenerative Medicine, Zagreb School of Medicine, has made a novel discovery in our understanding of limb...
High-resolution roadmap charted for regeneration of pancreatic β cells
A research group led by Prof. Shao Zhen from the Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health (SINH) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the collaborators charted a high-resolution...
Assumptions about gender roles in past humans ignore an icky but potentially crucial part of original 'paleo diet'
One of the most common stereotypes about the human past is that men did the hunting while women did the gathering. That gendered division of labor, the story goes, would...
Chemical Found in Common Sweetener Damages DNA
A new study finds a chemical formed when we digest a widely used sweetener is "genotoxic," meaning it breaks up DNA. The finding raises questions about how the sweetener may...
Researchers reveal drug resistance mechanism of pathogen Staphylococcus aureus
Recently, a research team led by Prof. Sun Baolin from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) revealed the mechanism of transcriptional regulation via S-nitrosylation for vancomycin resistance...
Desert ants increase the visibility of their nest entrances in the absence of landmarks
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology report in Current Biology that in the absence of visible landmarks, desert ants increase the likelihood that foraging nest mates will...
These ants build tall nest hills to help show the way home
Some ants have figured out how to keep from getting lost: Build taller anthills. Desert ants that live in the hot, flat salt pans of Tunisia spend their days looking for food....
Watch: Brothers take on villains in 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem' trailer
Paramount Pictures released the first trailer for its animated movie "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem" on Wednesday.
This psychedelic-eyed gecko isn't what we thought it was
The bright-eyed reptiles were identified as a new species after a genetic analysis of other geckos revealed they were separate from another closely related species.
Engineering the bacteriophage T4 to serve as a vector for molecular repair
A team of medical scientists at The Catholic University of America, in Washington, D.C., working with a colleague from Purdue University, has developed a way to engineer the bacteriophage T4...
Mosquito zappers get a boost from static-electricity harvester redesign
Controlling mosquito populations, especially in isolated or remote areas, is a global public-health priority. In a new study, a team of Chinese researchers advanced this agenda with a more efficient...
EU looks to boost boat tracking to fight overfishing
The EU is moving towards extra tracking and putting cameras on fishing boats to monitor their catches in order to prevent overfishing, under a deal Wednesday that environmentalists hailed as...
Plants can distinguish when touch starts and stops
Even without nerves, plants can sense when something touches them and when it lets go, a Washington State University-led study has found.
Examining the developmental regulatory mechanism of limb loss in squamates
The development of limbs is significant for the origin and evolution of tetrapods, providing multiple functions and capabilities. Although limb loss has occurred in many clades to adapt to new...
Silent zoo tours can generate new perspectives on animals, study suggests
Visiting zoos in silence can generate a range of novel experiences, helping people to connect to animals in a more intimate way and giving visits more gravitas, according to new...
Why it’s time to stop naming new species after people
Anophthalmus hitleri, a cave beetle named after Adolf Hitler, has become a target for some collectors. London's Natural History Museum/Flickr This article was originally published on Undark. George Washington’s palm tree. Thomas Jefferson’s...
Humans evolved to walk with an extra spring in our step
A new study has shown that humans may have evolved a spring-like arch to help us walk on two feet. Researchers studying the evolution of bipedal walking have long assumed...
Surprise sighting: flamingo spotted in Kruger National Park
A flamingo was spotted in Kruger National Park in South Africa.
World’s largest freshwater fish draws attention to delicate ecosystem
Late one night last summer, Seila Chea got an urgent call from a fisherman on the Mekong River in northeastern Cambodia. He’d hooked an endangered giant freshwater stingray—and it was a monster....
Study shows light conveyed by signal-transmitting sucrose controls growth of plant roots
Plant growth is driven by light and supplied with energy through photosynthesis by green leaves. It is the same for roots that grow in the dark—they receive the products of...
Silent zoo tours can generate new perspectives on animals, study suggests
Visiting zoos in silence can generate a range of novel experiences, helping people to connect to animals in a more intimate way and giving visits more gravitas, according to new...
Essential process for SARS-CoV-2 viral replication visualized
During the replication of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, a long string of connected proteins is cleaved apart into individual proteins. This process is interrupted by an FDA-approved drug to treat COVID-19;...
Using AI to create better, more potent medicines
While it can take years for the pharmaceutical industry to create medicines capable of treating or curing human disease, a new study suggests that using generative artificial intelligence could vastly...
Using AI to create better, more potent medicines
While it can take years for the pharmaceutical industry to create medicines capable of treating or curing human disease, a new study suggests that using generative artificial intelligence could vastly...
Humans have lost half of primate ancestors' gut bacteria, finds new study
A new study finds that hundreds of bacterial groups have evolved in the guts of primate species over millions of years, but humans have lost close to half of these...
Watch: Investigators identify chemical as source of green patch in Venice canal
A patch of bright green water that appeared in the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy, was investigated by environmental authorities and found to be caused by a leak-detecting chemical.