Latest science news in Biology & Nature

Researchers characterize Meissner corpuscles in mice

5 years ago from Physorg

A team of researchers from Harvard Medical School and Stanford University has learned more about the role Meissner corpuscles play in sensing touch in mice. In their paper published in...

No. 1 Novak Djokovic now open to compete in U.S. Open

5 years ago from UPI

Novak Djokovic once said it would be "impossible" to play in the 2020 U.S. Open based on "extreme" protocols for COVID-19. Now he says he is open to the idea...

Bacterial 'Death Stars' could be tricked into destroying themselves

5 years ago from Physorg

Researchers have discovered a network of channels inside bacterial communities which could be used to kill bacteria more quickly by 'tricking' them into transporting drugs.

Study shows how Australia's burrowing frogs handle the heat

5 years ago from Physorg

Researchers have shown how the unique genetic make-up of a group of Australian frogs could be the key to their survival, allowing them to better withstand our harsh climate.

Physical link between RNA processing and epigenetic silencing discovered

5 years ago from Physorg

RNA-mediated chromatin regulation is central to gene expression in many organisms but until now the mechanism of how RNA regulates chromatin packaging of DNA, and thereby switches genes on and...

Overcoming genomic imprinting barrier improves mammal cloning

5 years ago from Physorg

Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT, also known as cloning) technology holds great potential in animal production and regenerative medicine. However, the extremely low efficiency and frequently observed abnormalities in cloned...

Scientists uncover pivotal virus structure for replication

5 years ago from Physorg

Researchers from the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute (BDI) have revealed the structure of a protein complex that is essential for the poliovirus to replicate. The structure may be similar to...

Ex-Seahawks, Browns WR Josh Gordon applies for reinstatement in NFL

5 years ago from UPI

Oft-suspended wide receiver Josh Gordon has once again applied for reinstatement to the NFL.

Zoos Find Creative Ways to Cope with Coronavirus Lockdowns

5 years ago from Scientific American

The institutions are turning to various solutions, including livestreams and fundraisers, to connect with would-be visitors and continue caring for their animals -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com

Plants can camouflage odours to avoid being eaten: study

5 years ago from Physorg

Plants in dense tropical forests are able to mask their chemical scents in order to avoid being detected and eaten by insects—a key advantage in the "information arms race" between...

Great Rift Valley, Kenya

5 years ago from European Space Agency

Image: The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over part of the Great Rift Valley, Kenya.

Canadians among most active in online right-wing extremism, research finds

5 years ago from CBC: Technology & Science

A new report on Canadian involvement in right-wing extremism online should serve as a “wake-up call” about the widespread nature of the movement, says a leading expert on the phenomenon....

Half of the Earth is still free from human impact, but it’s not all good news

5 years ago from PopSci

Deserts are some of the least touched biomes (Pixabay/)The idea of reserving half of the Earth for nature has been gaining traction among conservationists in recent years. Organizations like Nature Needs Half are...

Viruses steal human DNA to forge new human-virus genes

5 years ago from UPI

Members of a large groups of viruses, including influenza viruses, can build new genes using genetic code copied from hijacked human cells, according to new research.

The Brain Interprets Smell like the Notes of a Song

5 years ago from Scientific American

The sequence in which clusters of olfactory neurons switch on can evoke the smell of an apple instead of a pear -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com

Scientists decode how the brain senses smell

5 years ago from Science Daily

Scientists have further decoded how mammalian brains perceive odors and distinguish one smell from thousands of others.

Studying the Neanderthal DNA found in modern humans using stem cells and organoids

5 years ago from Science Daily

Protocols that allow the transformation of human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines into organoids have changed the way scientists can study developmental processes and enable them to decipher the...

California, L.A. County see new single-day highs in coronavirus cases

5 years ago from LA Times - Health

As California further relaxes restrictions implemented to stymie the spread of the coronavirus, the number of confirmed infections hits new highs.

Watch: Albino boa among five reptiles stolen from Florida sanctuary

5 years ago from UPI

A Florida wildlife sanctuary said a rare, albino red-tailed boa constrictor and four other reptiles were stolen from their enclosures.

How to make a mouse smell a smell that doesn’t actually exist

5 years ago from Sciencenews.org

Scientists have implanted an artificial odor directly in the brains of mice. It doesn’t mean that mental Smell-O-Vision technology is coming soon. But the results, published June 18 in Science, deliver clues to...

Structural evidence for a dynamic metallocofactor during N2 reduction by Mo-nitrogenase

5 years ago from Science NOW

The enzyme nitrogenase uses a suite of complex metallocofactors to reduce dinitrogen (N2) to ammonia. Mechanistic details of this reaction remain sparse. We report a 1.83-angstrom crystal structure of the...

Information arms race explains plant-herbivore chemical communication in ecological communities

5 years ago from Science NOW

Plants emit an extraordinary diversity of chemicals that provide information about their identity and mediate their interactions with insects. However, most studies of this have focused on a few model...

Measles virus and rinderpest virus divergence dated to the sixth century BCE

5 years ago from Science NOW

Many infectious diseases are thought to have emerged in humans after the Neolithic revolution. Although it is broadly accepted that this also applies to measles, the exact date of emergence...

Researchers create a photographic film of a molecular switch

5 years ago from Physorg

Molecular switches—they are the molecular counterparts of electrical switches and play an important role in many processes in nature. Such molecules can reversibly interconvert between two or more states and...

African lion counts miss the mark, but new method shows promise

5 years ago from Science Daily

The current technique used for counting lion populations for research and conservation efforts doesn't add up, according to a researcher. He has been investigating new methods of photographing and reviewing...

Yale biologist reveals how plants grow thorns

5 years ago from UPI

New research has revealed the origins of thorns, the rigid extensions that a variety of plant species use to protect themselves from herbivores.

Antioxidant-rich diet reduces stress response during bird migration

5 years ago from Physorg

A research team led by a University of Rhode Island ornithologist had birds fly in a wind tunnel to simulate migration and found that birds that consume dietary antioxidants before...