Latest science news in Biology & Nature
DNA barcodes enable high throughput RNA and protein detection in deep tissue
For the Liu Lab, necessity is truly the mother of invention. The researchers were examining how the 3D organization of the genome controls development and needed to image hundreds of...
Do cats have 'friends,' or do they always vie for territory? Animal experts weigh in
Domestic cats have been living alongside humans for an estimated 10,000 years, first as rodent control and then as the couch-warmers we know and love. A far cry from the...
Please stop releasing pet goldfish into the wild
We’ve already told you to consider eating more marsh rodents for the sake of the environment. Now, we’re begging you to stop releasing pet goldfish into local waterways. The seemingly benign and tiny...
Male blue-lined octopuses paralyze females before mating to prevent being eaten
A team of neurologists, environmentalists and bioengineers at the University of Queensland, in Australia, has found that male blue-lined octopuses paralyze females prior to mating to avoid being eaten. In...
'Fishial' recognition: Neural network deciphers coral reef sounds for species identification
Coral reefs are some of the world's most diverse ecosystems. Despite making up less than 1% of the world's oceans, one quarter of all marine species spend some portion of...
Pioneering Animal Scientist Grandin to Attend Documentary Screening
Temple Grandin, a world-renowned expert in animal welfare who transformed the academic understanding of animal behavior, will visit the University of Nebraska-Lincoln on March 13 for a screening
Unlocking the Secrets of Plant Scent: How Terpene Synthases Drive Floral Diversity
A recent study reveals how the expansion and functional divergence of terpene synthase genes (TPSs) in flowering plants (angiosperms) have driven the astonishing diversity of terpenes--critical compounds involved in plant...
New Insights Into How High Temperatures Delay Flowering in Osmanthus Fragrans
As global temperatures rise, the ability to understand how plants respond to heat has never been more critical. A recent study has uncovered a molecular mechanism by which elevated temperatures...
Planes are having their GPS hacked. Could new clocks keep them safe?
How a new atomic clock might be the way to tackle attacks on plane GPS systems
How bad could the ship collision be for the environment?
Experts are assessing the potential fallout for marine species and nearby wildlife populations.
Rare frog rediscovered after 130 years
A team of researchers has rediscovered a frog species which has not been seen in more than 130 years. First described in 1902, Alsodes vittatus had evaded detection since then,...
Landscape transcriptomics may give insight into what stresses wild bees
A new method of examining gene expression patterns called landscape transcriptomics may help pinpoint what causes bumble bees stress and could eventually give insight into why bee populations are declining...
Bald eagle live cam team shares what’s next for the 3 eaglets
“Elated beyond imagination.” That’s how Sandy Steers, executive director of Friends of Big Bear Valley, says that she and the team of mostly volunteers are feeling after watching three eaglets hatch last week....
New York Giants, safety Jevon Holland agree to $45M deal
The New York Giants agreed to a three-year, $45.3 million with former Miami Dolphins safety Jevon Holland, he confirmed Tuesday on Instagram.
Hungry little crabs may help control coral-eating starfish numbers
Small, hidden crabs may be the missing link influencing coral-eating starfish populations, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
How nature organizes itself, from brain cells to ecosystems
Look around, and you'll see it everywhere: the way trees form branches, the way cities divide into neighborhoods, the way the brain organizes into regions. Nature loves modularity—a limited number...
Death by feral cat: DNA shows cats to be culprits in killing of native animals
Conservation scientists from UNSW Sydney have used DNA technology to identify feral cats as the primary predators responsible for the deaths of reintroduced native animals at two conservation sites in...
Muscles From the Printer
Empa researchers are working on artificial muscles that can keep up with the real thing. They have now developed a method of producing the soft and elastic, yet powerful structures...
Does exoplanet K2-18b host alien life or not? Here's why the debate continues
A paper published in 2023 spurred discussion about whether life exists on an exoplanet named K2-18b. Two years later, the puzzle continues — and some scientists are expressing doubt.
BREX system's unique DNA recognition mechanism enhances bacterial antiviral defense
Bacteriophages, the most abundant life form on Earth, infect bacterial cells and influence the structure of the microbial community. To fend off phage attacks, bacteria have evolved their own defense...
U.S. launches mobile app with 'Intent to Depart' feature for undocumented migrants
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has launched a new mobile app to give undocumented migrants, whose parole has been revoked, an easier way to voluntarily leave the United States.
An approach inspired by video games offers a new way to visualize limb development
From a single cell to an entire organism, embryonic development is a process of continuous and constant change. However, our understanding of this process is sometimes limited by the fact...
How humans can reinvent themselves to live on other worlds
Let's face it: Space is a hostile environment for humans. Even on Mars, settlers might have a hard time coping with potentially lethal levels of radiation, scarce resources and reduced...
Cold temperatures may trigger shapeshifting in metamorphic proteins
Metamorphic proteins can be thought of as the "shapeshifters" of human, animal and bacterial cells. Their ability to drastically switch between two different shapes enables them to adapt to changing...
Male octopus poisons its mate to avoid becoming post-sex snack
While the bite from a venomous blue-lined octopus (Hapalochlaena fasciata) can result in a painful, potentially life-or-death emergency for humans, new research indicates it’s part of everyday courtship for the eight-limbed mollusks. And...
Exploring the Greenland shark's secret to extreme longevity
Greenland sharks are thought to have lifespans that can reach 400 years. University of Tokyo-led researchers have now sequenced the first chromosome-level genome of the Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus), revealing...
Some trees are coping with extreme heat surprisingly well
Rising temperatures could reduce trees’ ability to photosynthesize. Scientists are trying to figure out just how close we are to that point.
Uneven hormone distribution in plants regulates cell division and growth, biologists discover
New research from an international team of plant biologists, led by researchers at the VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology, has revealed crucial insights into the role brassinosteroids—essential plant hormones—play...