Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Running in Tarahumara culture
"Running in Tarahumara (Rarámuri) Culture," just published in Current Anthropology (v61, no. 3 (June 2020): 356-379) studies the Tarahumara Native Americans of northern Mexico.
Why it's no last orders for the Tequila bat
Scientists studying the 'near threatened' tequila bat, best known for its role in pollinating the Blue Agave plant from which the drink of the same name is made from, have...
Newly discovered pathogen in NY apples causes bitter rot disease
In a study of New York state apple orchards, plant pathologists have identified a new fungal pathogen that causes bitter rot disease in apples.
Newly discovered pathogen in NY apples causes bitter rot disease
In a study of New York state apple orchards, Cornell plant pathologists have identified a new fungal pathogen that causes bitter rot disease in apples. Also, a second related fungus...
Yellow pond-lily prefers cyclic flowers to spiral ones
Biologists from Lomonosov Moscow State University and HSE University have studied the patterns of flower development in yellow water-lily (Nuphar lutea). They found out that all the floral organs are...
Sorting and secreting insulin by expiration date
A study in the Journal of Biological Chemistry describes a new way to determine the age of insulin-storage parcels, known as granules, and sheds light on how their age affects...
Plant study challenges tropics' reputation as site of modern evolutionary innovation
In a surprise twist, a major group of flowering plants is evolving twice as quickly in temperate zones as the tropics. The finding runs counter to a long-held hypothesis that...
Study shows great specificity of action by enzymes to correct double-strand DNA breaks
Our cells are constantly dividing, and as they do, the DNA molecule—our genetic code—sometimes gets broken. DNA has twin strands, and a break in both is considered especially dangerous. This...
Order from noise: How randomness and collective dynamics define a stem cell
Without stem cells, human life would not exist. Due to them, a lump of cells becomes an organ, and a fertilized egg develops into a baby. But what actually makes...
Compounds halt SARS-CoV-2 replication by targeting key viral enzyme
New research identifies several existing compounds that block replication of the COVID-19 virus (SARS-CoV-2) within human cells grown in the laboratory. The inhibitors all demonstrated potent chemical and structural interactions...
Physics: Bubbling and burping droplets of DNA
Liquid droplets formed from DNA display a peculiar response to enzymes. An international collaboration has now been able to explain the mechanisms behind bubble formation.
Group genomics drive aggression in honey bees
Researchers often study the genomes of individual organisms to try to tease out the relationship between genes and behavior. A new study of Africanized honey bees reveals, however, that the...
Plant study challenges tropics' reputation as site of modern evolutionary innovation
In a surprise twist, a major group of flowering plants is evolving twice as quickly in temperate zones as the tropics.
How grizzly bears have learned to live with humans
Grizzly bears had better survival rates when they gradually shifted their behaviour to become more nocturnal and were less likely to come into contact with people, a new study found.
Frog stows away from Colombia to Wales in shipment of bananas
Animal rescuers in Wales said an exotic frog hitched a ride with a shipment of bananas and was found at a grocery store 5,000 miles from its home in Colombia.
White-throated sparrows are ditching their classic song for a new tune
Researchers are tracking a potential new dialect of bird song that has swept rapidly through sparrows throughout North America. (Scott M. Ramsay/)When ornithologist Ken Otter moved to Prince George in northern British Columbia...
Researchers study effects of cellular crowding on the cell's transport system
As many diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, have been linked to the defective functioning of motor proteins in cell transport systems, understanding the intricacies of how motor proteins...
Researchers develop software to find drug-resistant bacteria
Washington State University researchers have developed an easy-to-use software program to identify drug-resistant genes in bacteria.
Cell 'membrane on a chip' could speed up screening of drug candidates for COVID-19
Researchers have developed a human cell 'membrane on a chip' that allows continuous monitoring of how drugs and infectious agents interact with our cells, and may soon be used to...
Coconut oil may be worse than palm oil when it comes to the environment
Many scientific studies have highlighted environmental harm caused by palm oil production, but new research suggests the production of coconut oil threatens more species per liter than other vegetable oils.
European ancestry plays role in 'killer' honey bees' aggressiveness
What causes African hybrid honey bees (AHB), also known as killer bees, to be highly defensive and aggressive? York University researchers have found it was the mixing of African and...
Palm trees most abundant in American rainforests
Characteristics of palm trees differ from those of other tropical trees in many ways. In a major new study led by scientists at Uppsala University, Sweden, and University of Campinas,...
Order from noise: How randomness and collective dynamics define a stem cell
Stem cells are central to organ development and renewal. In most organs, stem cells are located in specific regions and, in some cases, can be identified through several intrinsic properties,...
Coconut confusion reveals consumer conundrum
Coconut oil production may be more damaging to the environment than palm oil, researchers say.
Did adaptive radiations shape reptile evolution?
Some of the most fundamental questions in evolution remain unanswered, such as when and how extremely diverse groups of animals—for example reptiles—first evolved. For seventy-five years, adaptive radiations—the relatively fast...
Structural insights into Fe-S protein biogenesis
The cytosolic iron sulfur assembly (CIA) pathway is required for the insertion of Fe-S clusters into proteins, including many DNA replication and repair factors. Despite its essential cellular function, this...
Location, location, location: Even gut immune response is site-specific
Researchers are using mini-organs to model the digestive tract in the laboratory. These so-called organoids provide insights into the inflammatory processes that play a role in diseases such Crohn's and...
Endangered butterfly in San Diego County is the focus of a new protection effort
Two environmental groups have filed a petition with the state asking it to provide more protection for a once-abundant butterfly that has seen its numbers fall precipitously in San Diego...