Latest science news in Biology & Nature
In some genetic cases of microcephaly, stem cells fail to launch
In a very severe, genetic form of microcephaly, stem cells in the brain fail to divide, according to a new Columbia University Medical Center study that may provide important clues...
Purest yet liver-like cells generated from induced pluripotent stem cells
This image shows induced pluripotent stem cells expressing a characteristic cell surface protein called SSEA4 (green). A research team including developmental biologist Stephen A. Duncan, D. Phil., SmartStateTM Chair...
Study finds shark fins & meat contain high levels of neurotoxins linked to Alzheimer's disease
Cyanobacterial neurotoxin β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) and Mercury are detected in sharks from the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. In a new study, University of Miami (UM) scientists found high concentrations of...
More tomatoes, faster: Accelerating tomato engineering
A researcher transfers tomato plantlets from a plate of regeneration medium. Tomatoes are already an ideal model species for plant research, but scientists at the Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI)...
New genus of bacteria found living inside hydraulic fracturing wells
Ohio State University researchers and their colleagues have identified a new genus of bacteria living inside hydraulic fracturing wells. Researchers analyzing the genomes of microorganisms living in shale oil...
Brain circuit that drives sleep-wake states, sleep-preparation behavior is identified
Stanford University School of Medicine scientists have identified a brain circuit that's indispensable to the sleep-wake cycle. This same circuit is also a key component of the reward system, an...
Giraffes more speciose than expected
Scientists from the Senckenberg and the Giraffe Conservation Foundation have analysed the genetic relationships of all major populations of giraffe in the wild. The large study on the genetic makeup...
Study reveals how ionising radiation damages DNA and causes cancer
For the first time, researchers from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute and their collaborators have been able to identify in human cancers two characteristic patterns of DNA damage caused by...
The proteins that domesticated our genomes
EPFL scientists have carried out a genomic and evolutionary study of a large and enigmatic family of human proteins, to demonstrate that it is responsible for harnessing the millions of...
Scientists create safer pig organs with goal of transplants for humans
(Reuters) - Scientists at a Massachusetts company seeking to make pig organs safe enough to be transplanted into humans have used gene-editing technology to clone piglets that lack a potentially...
Majority of fruit fly immunity studies can be replicated, huge analysis finds
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Paleontologist to lead U.S. national academy
Neil Shubin, an evolutionary biologist best known for discovering an important fish fossil, has been nominated to head the U.S. National Academy of Sciences (NAS). He will take over next year with the...
Molecular fossils offer first glimpse of how life survived Snowball Earth
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A mushroom that escaped from kitchens could be harming North American wildlife
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How a string of deadly shark attacks made a remote island a hub of lifesaving research
Related podcast Studying a shark-haunted island, and upgrading our microbiomes with engineered bacteria ...
A taste for microbes
Science & Tech A taste for microbes A video of a brooding octopus mother interacting with a fake egg that was doped with a microbial molecule isolated from rejected octopus egg bacteria....
Stealing a ‘superpower’
Corey Allard in his lab at Harvard Medical School.Niles Singer/Harvard Staff Photographer Science & Tech Stealing a ‘superpower’ Study finds some sea slugs consume algae, incorporate photosynthetic parts into their own bodies to...
Forecasting the next variant
Health Forecasting the next variant Professor Eugene Shakhnovich (from left), Dianzhuo (John) Wang, and Vaibhav Mohanty worked together on the studies.Veasey Conway/Harvard Staff Photographer Yahya Chaudhry Harvard Correspondent July 3, 2025 5 min read Harvard...
For biologists studying tiny worms, new technologies make big improvements
Two new technologies are helping scientists understand new aspects of organ and nervous system development in C. elegans. One allows them to image worms developing in a natural environment, while...
New study resolves the structure of the human protein that causes cystic fibrosis
In order to better understand how genetic mutations give rise to cystic fibrosis, researchers need to map the protein responsible for the disorder. The new structure has led to new...
For microbes fighting viruses, a fast response means a better defense
Researchers have found that the bacterial immune system targets an invading virus as soon as it enters the cell. This discovery answers a long-standing question about how microbes defend themselves....
Study identifies “night owl” gene variant
Scientists have discovered a common mutation that might explain why some people have trouble going to sleep at night and getting up early. The gene alteration slows the internal biological...
Scientists discover how crucial DNA sequences endure
The centromere region of chromosomes retains the same DNA from one generation to the next. Scientists have gained new insights into how it avoids being scrambled in normal cells, and...
Researchers track fish migration by testing DNA in seawater
For the first time, researchers have successfully recorded fish migration by conducting DNA tests on water samples. Using this method to estimate the abundance and distribution of fish species could...
Shooting the messenger: how one protein allows germ cells to develop
Researchers have identified a molecule that guides the formation of eggs and sperm by preventing a host of factors related to cell death and inflammation from killing the precursors to...
Scientists engineer human-germ hybrid molecules to attack drug-resistant bacteria
Taking a cue from viruses that infect and kill bacteria, the researchers engineered molecules capable of targeting the bugs in a way the human immune system cannot—an approach that could...
A newly discovered cell helps pythons poop out the bones of their prey
The cells helps the snakes absorb the bones of their prey — and might show up in other animals that chomp their meals whole.
Simulations reveal how sharp boundaries endure in soft tissue
Research could help explain how cells organize into complex living systems