Latest science news in Biology & Nature
'I had to do something': Black barbers and stylists go underground as L.A. salons stay shut
In black communities, where barbershops and salons are cultural institutions and gathering places, the lockdown has hit barbers and stylists hard.
Dow extends growth streak in early trading Thursday
U.S. blue chip stocks posted gains for the third straight day on Thursday and are up more than 1,000 points so far this week.
Biophysicists reveal how optogenetic tool works
An international research team has for the first time obtained the structure of the light-sensitive sodium-pumping KR2 protein in its active state. The discovery provides a description of the mechanism...
Sea snakes have been adapting to see underwater for 15 million years
Sea snakes first entered the marine environment 15 million years ago and have been evolving ever since to survive in its changing light conditions, according to a new study.
Who were the Canaanites? New insight from 73 ancient genomes
The people who lived in the area known as the Southern Levant—which is now recognized as Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Jordan, Lebanon, and parts of Syria—during the Bronze Age (circa...
Revealing how flies make decisions on the fly to survive
Many insects process visual information to make decisions about controlling their flying skills and movements- flies must decide whether to pursue prey, avoid a predator, maintain their flight trajectory or...
Wading birds: shorebirds with unusual social structures
,Waders like wet conditions. They look for insects and other creepy-crawlies in the damp earth. Some species, such as the Mexican snowy plover or the ruff have developed fascinating behavioural...
New technique offers higher resolution molecular imaging and analysis
A new approach could help researchers understand more complicated biomolecular interactions and characterize cells and diseases at the single-molecule level.
Why you may need to encourage social distancing around your bird feeder
People in Britain feed up to 196 million birds a year with 60,000 tonnes of bird food, at a total cost of £300 million. All those garden feeders have helped...
Exchange of arms between chromosomes using molecular scissors
The CRISPR/Cas molecular scissors work like a fine surgical instrument and can be used to modify genetic information in plants. Research teams have now not only exchanged single genes, but...
Well begun is half done? Researchers study the recipe for efficient protein synthesis
Skoltech scientists and their colleagues have studied more than 30 thousand variants of genetic sequences encoding two fluorescent proteins in order to determine which characteristics of mRNA and of the...
Topology control of human fibroblast cells monolayer by liquid crystal elastomer
Eukaryotic cells within living tissues can affect important physiological processes such as apoptosis and cell migration based on dynamic pattern formation with spatially varying orientations. However, it is yet challenging to project a...
Fighting parasites with poo
Sheep poo could hold the key to developing the next generatation of antiparasitic treatments that could protect Australian livestock and save the industry millions of dollars a year.
Have resistance, will travel
Around the world, pest insects like mosquitoes often become resistant to the insecticides meant to control them, causing problems for agriculture and public health.
New iguana species found hiding in plain sight
This is the tale of two iguanas. Or five iguanas and counting, if you prefer. Bear with us, because this isn't straightforward.
Former Atlanta Braves catcher Biff Pocoroba dies at 66
Former Atlanta Braves catcher Biff Pocoroba, who was an All-Star selection with the club in 1978, has died at the age of 66.
In chimpanzees, females contribute to the protection of the territory
Researchers have extensively studied several neighboring groups of western chimpanzees and their findings reveal that females and even the entire group may play a more important role in between-group competition...
New understanding of RNA movements can be used to treat cancer
New research shows that an RNA molecule involved in preventing tumor formation can change its structure and thereby control protein production in the cell. The finding can have important clinical...
How do we disconnect from the environment during sleep and under anesthesia?
A series of new studies finds, among other important discoveries, that noradrenaline, a neurotransmitter secreted in response to stress, lies at the heart of our ability to ''shut off'' our...
Fishing less could be a win for both lobstermen and endangered whales
A new study found that New England's historic lobster fishery may turn a higher profit by operating with less gear in the water and a shorter season.
Scientists reveal new fundamental principles governing diving in animals
An international team of scientists has examined how metabolic constraints govern the diving performance of air-breathing aquatic species, all of which have evolved to maximise the amount of time they...
Caveolin binding motif in Na/K-ATPase is required for stem cell differentiation, organogenesis in animals
New findings reveal the importance of the Na/K-ATPase protein in stem cell differentiation and organogenesis, in a study led by scientists at Marshall University that involves the scaffolding function of...
Terrestrial bacteria can grow on nutrients from space
As inevitable fellow travellers on the bodies of astronauts, spaceships, or equipment, terrestrial microorganisms will undoubtedly come into contact with extraterrestrial environments. Researchers now describe how bacteria can survive on...
More effective human antibodies possible with chicken cells
Antibodies for potential use as medicines can be made rapidly in chicken cells grown in laboratories. Researchers refer to their technique as the human ADLib system, short for autonomously diversifying...
Modern problems, primitive solutions: A glimpse into archaic protein synthesis systems
The interaction between 'transfer RNAs' and the enzymes that help them in protein synthesis has always been the key area of interest for understanding the evolution of the genetic code....
Genomic analysis in samples of Neanderthals and modern humans shows a decrease in ADHD-associated genetic variants
The frequency of genetic variants associated with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has decreased progressively in the evolutionary human lineage from the Paleolithic to the present day, according to new research.
Patterns in crop data reveal new insight about plants and their environments
A new study unearthed patterns in datasets collected on rice plants across Asia that allowed researchers to develop a matrix to predict the traits of rice plants depending on their...
California coronavirus milestone: 100,000 cases. 'It hasn't ended'
The number of coronavirus infections in California is poised to surpass 100,000 as Gov. Gavin Newsom loosens stay-at-home restrictions.