Latest science news in Biology & Nature
A nose for trouble: Fruit flies can detect predators by smell
A study published this week in Scientific Reports by researchers from Macquarie University Applied BioSciences reveals that Queensland Fruit Fly (Q-fly) can detect the presence of potential predators by smell....
Researchers identify the binding model of Congo Red dye to amyloid fibrils
The aggregation of proteins in amyloid structure, a process described in mammals and fungus and bacteria, is implied in about 36 human diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and type...
Plant extract combo may relieve hangover symptoms
A plant extract combination of fruits, leaves, and roots may help to relieve hangover symptoms, reveals new research.
Mathematicians use machine intelligence to map gene interactions
Researchers at the University of California, Irvine have developed a new mathematical machine-intelligence-based technique that spatially delineates highly complicated cell-to-cell and gene-gene interactions. The powerful method could help with the...
New route of infection found for bacterium that spreads from horses to humans
Research has made it possible to detail for the first time the spreading of a bacterium through lymph vessels and not just blood vessels, thus being able to invade the...
After so many sacrifices, some Californians draw the line at closing beaches
Coronavirus: After so many sacrafices, some Californians draw the line at closing beaches
Real-time observation of enzymatic processes on DNA
DNA damage in general and DNA strand breaks in particular occur every day in all cells of the human body. This is due to internal influences such as free radicals,...
More than 2,000 Colombian turtles rescued from traffickers
Officials seized the newly hatched Matamata turtles from traffickers that were bound for Peru and returned them to their original habitat.
Camera Traps May Overcount Snow Leopards and Other Vulnerable Species
Markings on big cats are hard to distinguish, meaning one animal may be counted as two -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
Emergence of deadly honey bee disease revealed
Honey bee colonies from across the UK are increasingly suffering from a viral disease, a new study has shown.
Why mammals like elephants and armadillos might get drunk easily
An elephant, a narwhal and a guinea pig walk into a bar. From there, things could get ugly. All three might get drunk easily, according to a new survey of a gene...
For Singapore penguins, shuttered zoo is flippin' fun
One cute group is making the most of Singapore's partial virus lockdown—penguins at the city-state's zoo, who are being given the run of the empty complex and revelling in the...
Coffee plants have a small but consistent core microbiome of fungi and bacteria
For most people, coffee is a necessary start to the day. For three scientists based in Toronto, coffee is a good research subject in a world with a changing climate.
Discovery opens new avenues for designing drugs to combat drug-resistant malaria
For the first time, UBC researchers have shown a key difference in the three-dimensional structures of a key metabolic enzyme in the parasite that causes malaria compared to its human...
NASA resurrects red ‘worm’ logo for return to human spaceflight
NASA will tap into nostalgia, and some controversy, by resurrecting its red so-called worm logo for the agency's return to human spaceflight planned for May 27.
Coronavirus outbreak at Terminal Island prison worsens: 5 dead, 600 infected
600 Terminal Island inmates with coronavirus; five dead at L.A. federal prison
Better understanding of nature's nanomachines may help in design of future drugs
Many of the drugs and medicines that we rely on today are natural products taken from microbes like bacteria and fungi. Within these microbes, the drugs are made by tiny...
California lists dozens of outdoor activities permitted under stay-at-home rules
From meditation to tree climbing, California releases dozens of outdoor activities permitted under stay-at-home rules
Researchers create hybrids of six yeast species to combine useful traits
Researchers at the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have developed a method to combine traits from up to six different yeast species in a single...
Eyes send an unexpected signal to the brain
The eyes have a surprise. For decades, biology textbooks have stated that eyes communicate with the brain exclusively through one type of signaling pathway. But a new discovery shows that...
Alzheimer’s gene triggers early breakdowns in blood-brain barrier, predicting cognitive decline
New USC research reveals how APOE4 — a genetic culprit for Alzheimer’s disease — triggers leaks in the brain’s plumbing system, allowing toxic substances to seep into the brain areas...
Eyes send an unexpected signal to the brain
New research has found that a subset of retinal neurons sends inhibitory signals to the brain. Before, researchers believed the eye only sends excitatory signals.
Blue Angels, Thunderbirds to fly over Baltimore, D.C., Atlanta on Saturday
The Blue Angels and Thunderbirds will fly over Baltimore, Washington D.C. and Atlanta on Saturday, the Navy and Air Force announced.
Cracking the Lyme disease code
The next time a tick feeds on you, researchers hope to make sure persistent arthritis caused by Lyme disease doesn't linger for a lifetime.
Balancing impacts of range-shifting species: Invasives vs biodiversity
For many years, the conservation community has embraced the idea that improving connectivity, that is, creating corridors so species can follow their preferred climate, will benefit biodiversity, says Toni Lyn...
Double-bubble: 2-household links allowed as N.L. moves to ease COVID-19 restrictions
There have been just two new cases in the past 13 days.
Antimicrobial peptides: Application informed by evolution
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are essential components of immune defenses of multicellular organisms and are currently in development as anti-infective drugs. AMPs have been classically assumed to have broad-spectrum activity and simple kinetics, but recent...
A noncanonical inhibitory circuit dampens behavioral sensitivity to light
Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) drive diverse, light-evoked behaviors that range from conscious visual perception to subconscious, non–image-forming behaviors. It is thought that RGCs primarily drive these functions through the release...