Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Osmotic stress identified as stimulator of cellular waste disposal
Cellular waste disposal, where autophagy and lysosomes interact, performs elementary functions, such as degrading damaged protein molecules, which impair cellular function, and reintroducing the resulting building blocks such as amino...
New leaders emerge as organizations go to virtual work spaces, says study
When work meetings shifted online this spring, some may have noticed new standouts among their colleagues. According to new research, members of virtual teams identify leaders in significantly different ways...
Researchers discover unknown consumer base for unsustainable bear product use
In their efforts to better understand ongoing wildlife trafficking and the dynamics of unsustainable bear product use by consumers in Cambodia, a team of researchers led by San Diego Zoo...
New 3D model shows how the paradise tree snake uses aerial undulation to fly
For more than 20 years, a biomedical engineering and mechanics professor has sought to measure and model the biomechanics of snake flight and answer questions about them, like that of...
Engineers use 'DNA origami' to identify vaccine design rules
Using DNA origami as a virus-like scaffold, researchers designed an HIV-like particle that provokes a strong response from human immune cells grown in the lab. They are now testing this...
Bioengineered uteri support pregnancy
Scientists were able to show that bioengineered uteri in an animal model developed the native tissue-like structures needed to support normal reproductive function.
Worldwide slowdown in fishing unlikely to save rare species
Commercial fishing taking place worldwide has dipped since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, but scientists and conservation experts say it's unclear if the slowdown will help endangered species of...
Engineered immune cells recognize, attack human and mouse solid-tumor cancer cells
CAR-T therapy has been used successfully in patients with blood cancers such as lymphoma and leukemia. It modifies a patient's own T-cells by adding a piece of an antibody that...
Look: Taylor Schilling goes public with girlfriend Emily Ritz
Taylor Schilling, who played Piper Chapman on "Orange is the New Black," confirmed she's dating Emily Ritz.
Newly designed ligands for a catalytic reaction to synthesize drugs and useful compounds
Currently, various therapeutic compounds on the market, such as proteins, enzymes, and amino acids, are 'chiral compounds'—molecules with two structures that are mirror images of each other but cannot be...
Study shows antibiotic resistance genes persist in E. coli through 'genetic capitalism'
We have known for some time that over-use of antibiotics is causing a frightening increase in antibiotic resistance in bacteria, through the rapid spread of antibiotic resistance genes. What may...
Benny Mardones, 'Into the Night' singer, dead at 73
Benny Mardones, the singer behind 1980 hit "Into the Night," has died at the age of 73.
Bleaching affects aquarium corals, too
A new study illustrates the potential impact of recurrent heatwaves on coral species collected by the Australian aquarium coral industry.
Casting a wider net: New system measures brain activity of several zebrafish concurrently
Before a drug can be used to treat patients, it goes through several rounds of testing for efficacy and toxicity, which begin in animal models. Zebrafish, a tiny species of...
Engineers use “DNA origami” to identify vaccine design rules
By folding DNA into a virus-like structure, MIT researchers have designed HIV-like particles that provoke a strong immune response from human immune cells grown in a lab dish. Such particles might eventually be...
Here’s how flying snakes stay aloft
The movie Snakes on a Plane had it wrong. That’s not how snakes fly. Certain species of tree snakes can glide through the air, undulating their bodies as they soar from tree...
New 3-D model shows how the paradise tree snake uses aerial undulation to fly
When the paradise tree snake flies from one tall branch to another, its body ripples with waves like green cursive on a blank pad of blue sky. That movement, aerial...
Engineers use 'DNA origami' to identify vaccine design rules
By folding DNA into a virus-like structure, MIT researchers have designed HIV-like particles that provoke a strong immune response from human immune cells grown in a lab dish. Such particles...
Producing a gaseous messenger molecule inside the body, on demand
Nitric oxide is an important signaling molecule in the body, with a role in building nervous system connections that contribute to learning and memory. It also functions as a messenger...
Quiet Salish Sea gives scientists chance to study endangered killer whales
A significant drop in sea traffic brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic has created what scientists call a rare opportunity to study how quieter waters affect southern resident killer whales...
Structural evidence for a dynamic metallocofactor during dinitrogen reduction by Mo-nitrogenase
The enzyme nitrogenase is a biological catalyst that can reduce dinitrogen (N2) to ammonia in the presence of a suite of complex metallocofactors. However, the mechanistic details of the reaction...
New technique offers chemists unprecedented control in drug research
Leiden chemists have developed a new technique with which they can determine the role of kinases—a group of proteins—in a living cell. This technique makes it easier to find new...
Nico Young, Paige Sommers are Gatorade state athletes of the year in track and field
Newbury Park and Westlake athletes top California track and field performers.
Three new studies show unwanted changes in human embryo genome after CRISPR-Cas9 editing
Three teams working independently to test the possibility of using CRISPR–Cas9 gene editing to remove genetic defects in human embryos report finding unwanted changes in the genomes. The first team,...
Circular RNA found to make fruit flies live longer
Ribonucleic acid, or RNA, is part of our genetic code and present in every cell of our body. The best known form of RNA is a single linear strand, of...
Scientists examine the impact of a very specific defect in DNA replication
USC researchers peering deep inside a living cell have discovered something surprising: Its system for preventing genetic damage linked to diseases can fail so badly that the cell would be...
Banning trophy hunting amid COVID-19 threatens African wildlife and livelihoods
Griffith University scientists have revealed the devastating effects a trophy hunting ban will have on wildlife conservation and livelihoods in Africa. Although controversial, the practice of trophy hunting conserves land...
Misplaced Analogies: COVID-19 Is More like a Wildfire Than a Wave
Epidemiologist Sarah Cobey describes the massive epidemic as burning through the population -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com