Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Mysterious orange dust from Ohio pear trees identified as fungus
A mysterious orange dust coating yards and sidewalks in an Ohio town has been identified by experts as a fungus falling from local pear trees.
New approach drives bacteria to produce potential antibiotic, antiparasitic compounds
Researchers have developed a method to spur the production of new antibiotic or antiparasitic compounds hiding in the genomes of actinobacteria, which are the source of drugs such as actinomycin...
When two are better than one: Why some gene duplicates are retained while others perish
Whole genome duplication followed by massive gene loss has shaped many genomes, including the human genome. Why some gene duplicates are retained while most perish has puzzled scientists for decades.
Tracking the spread of mosquito insecticide resistance across Africa
In a step toward better control of the mosquitoes that transmit malaria, researchers have mapped the patterns of insecticide resistance in Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes across Africa. The new study, published...
Exploring whole-genome duplicate gene retention with complex genetic interaction analysis
Whole-genome duplication has played a central role in the genome evolution of many organisms, including the human genome. Most duplicated genes are eliminated, and factors that influence the retention of...
Erratum for the Report "Forest microclimate dynamics drive plant responses to warming" by F. Zellweger, P. De Frenne, J. Lenoir, P. Vangansbeke, K. Verheyen, M. Bernhardt-Römermann, L. Baeten, R. Hedl, I. Berki, J. Brunet, H. Van Calster, M. Chudomelova,
Muscle and neuronal guidepost-like cells facilitate planarian visual system regeneration
Neuronal circuits damaged or lost after injury can be regenerated in some adult organisms, but the mechanisms enabling this process are largely unknown. We used the planarian Schmidtea mediterranea to...
Structural basis for inhibition of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase from SARS-CoV-2 by remdesivir
The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has become a global crisis. Replication of SARS-CoV-2 requires the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase...
Mechanisms of OCT4-SOX2 motif readout on nucleosomes
Transcription factors (TFs) regulate gene expression through chromatin where nucleosomes restrict DNA access. To study how TFs bind nucleosome-occupied motifs, we focused on the reprogramming factors OCT4 and SOX2 in...
Cryo-EM structure of the human cohesin-NIPBL-DNA complex
As a ring-shaped adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) machine, cohesin organizes the eukaryotic genome by extruding DNA loops and mediates sister chromatid cohesion by topologically entrapping DNA. How cohesin executes these fundamental...
Single-molecule regulatory architectures captured by chromatin fiber sequencing
Gene regulation is chiefly determined at the level of individual linear chromatin molecules, yet our current understanding of cis-regulatory architectures derives from fragmented sampling of large numbers of disparate molecules....
Dolphins can learn from peers how to use shells as tools
For some bottlenose dolphins, finding a meal may be about who you know. Dolphins often learn how to hunt from their mothers. But when it comes to at least one foraging trick,...
Video: You're using disinfectants wrong. Here's what you actually need to do
Sure, you've got a product that says "kills germs" under your sink, but will it really destroy the new coronavirus on surfaces?
One-Time Treatment Generates New Neurons, Eliminates Parkinson’s Disease in Mice
Xiang-Dong Fu, PhD, has never been more excited about something in his entire career. He has long studied the basic biology of RNA, a genetic cousin of DNA, and the...
FISHTREAT: A novel, sustainable medicinal dosing system for fish farms
One of the main challenges for salmonid aquaculture is the threat of parasitic infestations from sea lice such as Lepeophtheirus salmonis. These parasites have been shown to survive for more...
Dramatic past declines of flounder verified and explained
Marine biologist Henri Jokinen investigated how and why flounder populations have decreased in Finnish waters over the past decades, and found that the story involves not one but two different...
New approach drives bacteria to produce potential antibiotic, antiparasitic compounds
Researchers have developed a method to spur the production of new antibiotic or antiparasitic compounds hiding in the genomes of actinobacteria, which are the source of drugs such as actinomycin...
Human interactions with wild and farmed animals must change dramatically to reduce risk of another deadly pandemic
Compiled by a team of international wildlife and veterinary experts, a new study has identified seven routes by which pandemics could occur and 161 options for reducing the risk. It...
How deforestation helps deadly viruses jump from animals to humans
The coronavirus pandemic, suspected of originating in bats and pangolins, has brought the risk of viruses that jump from wildlife to humans into stark focus.
Driving bacteria to produce potential antibiotic, antiparasitic compounds
Researchers have developed a method to spur the production of new antibiotic or antiparasitic compounds hiding in the genomes of actinobacteria, which are the source of the drugs actinomycin and...
Dynamics of DNA replication revealed at the nanoscale
DNA replication is a process of critical importance to the cell, and must be coordinated precisely to ensure that genomic information is duplicated once and only once during each cell...
Evolutionary conflicts predicted
Evolution seems to be an unpredictable process. However, predicting the constraints of evolution is possible. Researchers from AMOLF and the French ESPCI have demonstrated this using their mathematical method, followed...
'Baby Shark's Big Show!': Nickelodeon orders series based on viral hit
Nickelodeon has given the green light to a new animated preschool series titled "Baby Shark's Big Show!," based on the viral "Baby Shark" song and video.
Report finds an historic low for numbers of large wild Atlantic salmon
A group advocating for the conservation of wild Atlantic salmon says the number of adult salmon returning to North America rivers fell to near historic lows last year.
Periodic Graphics: A guide to COVID-19 testing
Chemical educator and Compound Interest blogger Andy Brunning captures the current state of diagnostics for novel coronavirus infection.
Molecular simulations show how drugs block key receptors
Many pharmaceuticals work by targeting what are known as ''G-protein-coupled receptors''. In a new study, scientists describe how they have been able to predict how special molecules that can be...
Genetic malfunction of brain astrocytes triggers migraine
Neuroscientists shed a new light on the mechanisms responsible for familial migraine: They show that a genetic dysfunction in specific brain cells of the cingulate cortex area strongly influences head...
Scientists discover cellular structure of poorly understood visual brain region
The brain's ventral lateral geniculate nucleus (vLGN) receives signals from the eye, but it is not associated with classical image-forming. For decades little was known about this brain region's cellular...