Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Born to be a cannibal: Genes for feeding behaviour in mandarin fish identified
Some mandarin fish species (Sinipercidae) are pure fish-eaters, which feed exclusively on living juvenile fish—also of their own species. A research team led by the Chinese Huazhong Agricultural University (HZAU)...
Chinook salmon declines related to changes in freshwater conditions
A new University of Alaska-led study provides the first evidence that declines in many of Alaska's chinook salmon populations can be attributed in part to climate-driven changes in their freshwater...
Overharvesting threatens 'Himalayan Viagra' fungus: IUCN
A parasitic fungus that grows inside the ghost moth caterpillar and then kills its host by bursting through its head is itself threatened with extinction, the IUCN said Thursday, as...
Cycad stem cuttings need wound sealants for successful propagation
The need to cover an open wound on cycad stem cuttings has been confirmed by the Western Pacific Tropical Research Center at the University of Guam in a study published...
Daytime aardvark sightings are a sign of troubled times
Aardvarks occur across most of sub-Saharan Africa, but very few people have seen one, because they are solitary, mostly active at night, and live in burrows. They use their spade-like...
Unraveling the mystery of wheat herbicide tolerance
Genetically speaking, the loaf of bread you stress-baked during the COVID-19 shutdown is more complex than you think. Wheat's 16 billion genes, organized in not one but three semi-independent genomes,...
X-ray scattering shines light on protein folding
KAIST researchers have used an X-ray method to track how proteins fold, which could improve computer simulations of this process, with implications for understanding diseases and improving drug discovery. Their...
Overzealous cell membrane guardians could increase the risk of cancer
Researchers at the UiO and OUS have discovered how destructive changes occur in our genome. This could lead to cancer. Their results have been published in the journal Nature Cell...
Nearly all Madagascar's lemur species 'face extinction'
Almost all species of lemur, the small saucer-eyed primates native to Madagascar, face extinction, an international conservation body warned on Thursday, adding to its growing list of animals and plants...
Company offers $1,000 to play 50 hours of 'Animal Crossing'
An online company is offering Nintendo fans the chance to make $1,000 with an unusual dream job: playing "Animal Crossing: New Horizons" for 50 hours.
Discovery makes microscopic imaging possible in dark conditions
Researchers have discovered a new way to more accurately analyze microscopic samples by essentially making them 'glow in the dark', through the use of chemically luminescent molecules. Current methods of...
Sodium found to regulate the biological clock of mice
A new study shows that increases in the concentrations of blood sodium can have an influence on the biological clock of mice, opening new research avenues for potentially treating the...
New form of melanin has ability to protect human tissue from X-rays
Packing for outer space? Here’s one thing you won’t want to forget. Northwestern University researchers have synthesized a new form of melanin enriched with selenium. Called selenomelanin, this new biomaterial...
OPTN-ATG9 interaction accelerates autophagic degradation of ubiquitin-labeled mitochondria
Researchers at TMIMS have revealed that PINK1 (a serine/threonine kinase) and Parkin (a ubiquitin ligating enzyme: E3) work together to ubiquitylate the outer membrane proteins of damaged mitochondria to induce...
Evolution makes the world less ragged
How does evolution impact ecological patterns? It helps smooth out the rough edges, say researchers. A new review of the history of ecological and evolutionary research establishes a framework to...
How can we stop people wanting to buy illegal wildlife products?
Conservationists have been working for decades to save species such as pangolins and rhinos from illegal hunting and trading. And, with fears that the coronavirus pandemic originated from the wildlife...
Discovery opens up new path in study of marine evolution and biodiversity
New UCLA research indicates that an evolutionary phenomenon never before observed among marine life could help explain why there is such immense biodiversity in the world's coral reefs and the...
If architecture is the canary in the coalmine, the outlook for construction is appalling
Architecture suffers before building does.
Doing more with less: Sperm without a fully active tail move faster and more efficiently, new study finds
Sperm cells moving their long tail to swim through the body in search of an egg is a familiar image, but a fully 'powered' tail may not be the key...
Higher fruit, vegetable and whole grain intake linked to lower risk of diabetes
Higher consumption of fruit, vegetables and whole grain foods are associated with a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to two new studies.
Biologists trace plants' steady mitochondrial genomes to a gene found in viruses, bacteria
One could say that mitochondria, the energy-producing organelles inside every human cell, dance to their own beat. After all, they have their own genome—a set of DNA-containing chromosomes—completely separate from...
Scientists look to bird feathers for printing colors
In nature, colors play a vital role in behaviors such as pollination, signaling for mating and defense against predators. Colors are also an important factor in scientific research that can...
Living fossils: We mapped a half-billion years of horseshoe crabs to save them from blood harvests
If you ventured to the New York seaside in summer, you might see a large dome-shaped animal with a spiky tail, slowly moving towards the water. These are horseshoe crabs—the...
New ways to keep proteins healthy outside the cell
With increasing age, and especially in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, proteins tend to misfold and aggregate into harmful deposits both inside and outside cells. Secreted proteins play an important...
Structural analysis of COVID-19 spike protein provides insight into its evolution
Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute have characterised the structure of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein as well as its most similar relative in a bat coronavirus. The structures provide clues...
Our field cameras melted in the bushfires. When we opened them, the results were startling
In late summer, male northern corroboree frogs call for a female mate. It's a good time to survey their numbers: simply call out "Hey, frog!" in a low, deep voice...
New bird checklists from Coiba National Park, Panama
A trip to Jicarón Island during the Coiba Bioblitz led to a published bird checklist.
New clues from fruit flies about the critical role of sex hormones in stem cell control
In one of the first studies addressing the role of sex hormones' impact on stem cells in the gut, scientists outline new insights showing how a steroidal sex hormone, ecdysone,...