Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Coronavirus and Antarctica: 'Isolated within isolation'
Why the people on the only continent without a recorded case of coronavirus are in lockdown.
Scientists discover why some birds live fast and die young
Size, safety and parenting all have an impact on how quickly a species of bird matures, according to new research from the University of Sheffield that could help scientists to...
Humpback whales may risk collision with vessels in the Magellan Strait
Every summer (November-April), the Magellan Strait in the southwestern part of Chile becomes a popular feeding area for migrating humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). The narrow strait is also a heavily...
FBI serves warrant on senator in investigation of stock sales linked to coronavirus
Warrant marks a major escalation of the investigation of stock trades by lawmakers as the coronavirus spread.
Biomechanics: 'Off-road' mode enables mobile cells to move freely
Cancer cells and leukocytes are able to move through tissue and organs quickly. However, it is not fully understood how these mobile cells manage to travel and survive far away...
'Pingers' could save porpoises from fishing nets
Underwater sound devices called 'pingers' could be an effective, long-term way to prevent porpoises getting caught in fishing nets with no negative behavioral effects.
How COVID-19 kills
Experts review how the SARS-Cov-2 virus can cause an immune overreaction in the form of potentially lethal cytokine storm.
Scientific consortium awards $16.5M to fund projects fighting COVID
This is part of our Coronavirus Update series in which Harvard specialists in epidemiology, infectious disease, economics, politics, and other disciplines offer insights into what the latest developments in the COVID-19 outbreak may...
Harvard scientists identify gut-brain connection in ALS
Harvard University scientists have identified a new gut-brain connection in the neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. The researchers found that in mice with a common ALS genetic mutation, changing the gut...
Pardis Sabeti’s work on infectious disease, coronavirus
By the time computational geneticist Pardis Sabeti finishes breakfast these days, she knows her inbox will be stuffed with notes, questions, and responses, all of which will require her immediate attention. There’s a...
Can't touch this! Video shows blacktip sharks use shallow water to flee huge predators
Aerial drone footage provides the first evidence of adult blacktip sharks using shallow waters as a refuge from a huge predator -- the great hammerhead. Before this study, documentation of...
COVID-19 Disease Map: A comprehensive repository
An international collaboration is building a COVID-19 Disease Map: a comprehensive repository incorporating all current knowledge on the virus-host interaction mechanisms.
Novartis and Sarepta tap Dyno Therapeutics to use machine learning for gene therapy
The newly launched start-up is using machine learning to make novel adeno-associated viruses for gene delivery
Dynamics of gut bacteria follow ecological laws
The seemingly chaotic bacterial soup of the gut microbiome is more organized than it first appears and follows some of the same ecological laws that apply to birds, fish, tropical...
Pardis Sabeti’s work on infectious disease, coronavirus
By the time computational geneticist Pardis Sabeti finishes breakfast these days, she knows her inbox will be stuffed with notes, questions, and responses, all of which will require her immediate attention. There’s a...
A disease trigger for pancreatitis has been identified
One factor contributing to the development of pancreatitis lies in mutations within a cell membrane ion channel that is characterized by its specific permeability for calcium ions. These insights could...
Harvard scientists identify gut-brain connection in ALS
Harvard University scientists have identified a new gut-brain connection in the neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. The researchers found that in mice with a common ALS genetic mutation, changing the gut...
Nanofiber membranes transformed into 3D scaffolds
Researchers combined gas foaming and 3D molding technologies to quickly transform electrospun membranes into complex 3D shapes for biomedical applications. The new approach demonstrates significant improvements in speed and quality...
Protein that helps cancer cells to survive
In a new study, researchers have discovered two important functions of a protein called RTEL1 during cell division. The researchers hope that the new knowledge will help to find new...
Durable, washable textile coating can repel viruses
Researchers have created a textile coating that can not only repel liquids like blood and saliva but can also prevent viruses from adhering to the surface.
SMART researchers uncover new anti-phage defense mechanisms
Researchers from Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), MIT’s research enterprise in Singapore, have discovered a new anti-phage defense mechanism found in some bacteria, which use previously unknown features to protect their...
New hybrid embryos are the most thorough mixing of humans and mice yet
Scientists have made embryos that are a lot mouse and a little bit human. With a little help, human stem cells can knit themselves into growing mouse embryos, populating the developing liver,...
Virus protein discovery reveals new plant-animal class of cell division disruptors
Viruses are ubiquitous pathogens that can cause severe infectious diseases in both humans and agricultural crops. As most viruses have simple genomes and encode only a few proteins, they must...
Scientists successfully develop 'heat resistant' coral to fight bleaching
The team included researchers from CSIRO, Australia's national science agency, the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) and the University of Melbourne.
How a mint became catmint
Catmint, also known as catnip, is well-known for its intoxicating effect on cats. The chemical responsible for the cats' strange behavior is nepetalactone, a volatile iridoid produced by catmint. An...
Genome of beloved sea otter Gidget now available for browsing
A sea otter genome browser—featuring the Monterey Bay Aquarium's beloved Gidget—is now available to the public. The visualizable genome for the Southern sea otter, Enhydra lutris nereis, comes following work...
CRISPR plants: new non-GMO method to edit plants
An NC State researcher has developed a new way to get CRISPR/Cas9 into plant cells without inserting foreign DNA. This allows for precise genetic deletions or replacements, without inserting foreign...
Bacterial injection system with a light-controlled molecular switch
When bacteria such as Salmonella or Yersinia cause fever, diarrhoea or abdominal pain, tiny 'injection needles' are at work: their type 3 secretion system, or T3SS for short, shoots bacterial...