Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Dock and harbor: A novel mechanism for controlling genes
The genetic information within cells makes individuals unique. The cell nucleus has a complex structure that harbors this genetic information. The main component of the nucleus is chromatin, an intercalated...
Waiting game: testing the patience of predators and prey
'Like a frog stared down by a snake', goes an old Japanese expression, descrbing an animal petrified with fear.
Tiger Woods, Peyton Manning favored to beat Tom Brady, Phil Mickelson in golf match
Tiger Woods and Peyton Manning have opened as betting favorites to beat Phil Mickelson and Tom Brady in their May 24 charity golf match.
A synthetic genetic circuit to quantify repeat deletion in bacteria
Repeat sequences are ubiquitous in the genomes of prokaryotes and eukaryotes. The rearrangement between direct repeats can result in deletions or expansions of DNA sequences, contributing to the genetic plasticity,...
New anti-COVID-19 nanocoating surface developed
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) researchers are developing safe anti-viral nanoparticle coatings that demonstrate significant potential in preventing active surface infection with SARS-CoV-2.
Study reveals a framework for trifoliate leaf-pattern formation in leguminous plants
Plant leaves exhibit a great diversity of forms that can be grouped into two types: simple leaves with a single blade, and compound leaves with multiple units called leaflets. A...
Hammerhead fins in Hong Kong traced mainly to Eastern Pacific
For the first time, researchers have traced the origins of shark fins from the retail market in Hong Kong back to the location where the sharks were first caught. This...
Animal Roles: Beyond Food and Companionship. The Case of Heparin
Animals play varied and important roles in society. In times of crisis, like those we are living through now, their influence is more relevant and noticeable than ever. We are...
New insights into early embryonic development
The majority of pregnancies that fail do so at a very early developmental stage, before the pregnancy is even detectable by tests. This critical stage, occurring about a week after...
A new imaging approach to see multiple proteins simultaneously
Researchers from Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST) have developed an innovative method to visualize up to tens of different proteins simultaneously in the same cell. This technology...
Wastewater may help predict the next COVID-19 outbreak
The secret to predicting viral outbreaks like COVID-19 might be in our sewers. A Michigan State University researcher is spearheading a study to determine if viral outbreaks can be identified...
Insects could help increase Europe's food self-sufficiency but will they catch on?
Insects in products such as pasta or bread, microalgae, and single-cell proteins derived from wood could feed and nourish humans and animals in the future. Now, those exploring alternative proteins...
Change of direction in immune defense: Frankincense reprograms inflammatory enzyme
A research team from the Friedrich Schiller University of Jena (Germany) and Louisiana State University has clarified the molecular mechanism behind the anti-inflammatory effect of a natural product from frankincense...
Medicinal plants thrive in biodiversity hotspots
With their rich repertoire of anti-infective substances, medicinal plants have always been key in the human fight to survive pathogens and parasites. The search for herbal drugs with novel structures...
Beetle penis field investigations lead to new species discovery in Norway
It took seven years, countless beetle penis field investigations, and hours upon hours on hands and knees in coastal wetlands. This is the story of all the research that has...
Bill Skarsgard to play Swedish criminal Clark Olofsson in Netflix series
"It" and "Castle Rock" actor Bill Skarsgard has signed on to play Swedish criminal Clark Olofsson in a six-part Netflix drama called "Clark."
Insects could help increase Europe’s food self-sufficiency but will they catch on?
Insects in products such as pasta or bread, microalgae, and single-cell proteins derived from wood could feed and nourish humans and animals in the future. Now, those exploring alternative proteins...
Striped dolphin found on Haida Gwaii more than 1,000 km north of normal range
A woman walking her dog on Haida Gwaii discovered a striped dolphin, more than a thousand kilometres north of its normal ocean range.
DNA surprises surfacing in the Atlantic: Species far from their usual southern homes
DNA scientists investigating new marine life migration patterns in the Atlantic Ocean surfaced the genetic traces of species far from their usual southern homes.
California maggot farm offers new pet food fed raised restaurant waste
A California company wants to provide pets and livestock with a new protein source -- freeze-dried black soldier fly maggots that grow on restaurant food waste.
Bumble bee disease, reproduction shaped by flowering strip plants
Flowering strips -- plants used to augment bee foraging habitats -- can help increase bee reproduction but may also increase pathogen infection rates.
Single-cell RNA seq developed to accurately quantify cell-specific drug effects in pancreatic islets
Researchers have developed a method to accurately assess the effect of specific drugs in isolated pancreatic tissue by using a refined single-cell RNA sequencing method. Their study describes their technique...
A connection between ancestry and the molecular makeup of cancer
Questions about the genealogical imprint of tumors have hovered over cancer research since the completion of the Human Genome Project in 2003. Is liver cancer different at a basic, molecular...
Seeing Through Opaque Media
Caltech researchers have developed a technique that combines fluorescence and ultrasound to peer through opaque media, such as biological tissue. “We hope that one day this method can be deployed...
New Insights into Early Embryonic Development
The majority of pregnancies that fail do so at a very early developmental stage, before the pregnancy is even detectable by tests. This critical stage, occurring about a week after...
Time to smell the roses. Descanso Gardens to reopen, with new rules
The popular La Cañada Flintridge gardens will require advance reservations, masks and social distancing.
Even animals benefit from social distance to prevent disease, research shows
Researchers have uncovered evidence about the importance of maintaining physical distance to minimize the spread of microbes among individuals. Monkeys were observed in the wild to understand what role genetics,...
How to tune out common odors and focus on important ones
Quantitative biologists at CSHL have figured out how a fly brain learns to ignore overwhelmingly prevalent, mundane odors to focus on more important ones. It's an important step towards understanding...