Latest science news in Biology & Nature
James King, 'My 600-lb Life' star dead at 49
James King, who appeared on TLC documentary series "My 600-lb Life," has died at the age of 49.
Distinct processing of lncRNAs contributes to non-conserved functions in stem cells
Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), which are longer than 200 nucleotides in length and lack protein coding potential, are pervasively transcribed in eukaryotic genomes. It is well established that lncRNAs play...
Better plant edits by enhancing DNA repair
A new genome editing system enhances the efficiency of an error-free DNA repair pathway, which could help improve agronomic traits in multiple crops.
How wallflowers evolved a complementary pair of plant defenses
A pair of chemicals used by wallflowers and their kin to ward off predators have evolved to complement each other, with one targeting generalist herbivores and the other targeting specialised...
Atomic force microscopy reveals high heterogeneity in bacterial membrane vesicles
One aspect of bacterial activity is the production of so-called extracellular membrane vesicles (MVs): biological 'packages' wrapped in a lipid-bilayer membrane, carrying for example genetic material. Apart from having specific...
Watch: Matthew McConaughey hosts virtual bingo night for seniors
Matthew McConaughey recently hosted on Zoom a bingo night for the residents at a senior living facility in Texas.
'Tiger King': Investigation Discovery announces unofficial sequel series
Investigation Discovery has announced an unofficial sequel to Netflix's hit documentary series "Tiger King" titled "Investigating the Strange World of Joe Exotic."
Applying CRISPR beyond Arabidopsis thaliana
Few technologies have made as big a splash in recent years as CRISPR/Cas9, and rightfully so. CRISPR/Cas9, or clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and associated genes, is a bacterial...
Scientists develop new way to identify the sex of sea turtle hatchlings
Unlike humans, sea turtles and other reptiles like crocodiles do not have sex chromosomes. Their sex is defined during development by the incubation environment. In sea turtles, sex is determined...
How the Cold War is helping the biggest fish in the sea
It might surprise you to learn that nuclear bomb tests during the Cold War are now helping conserve whale sharks, the largest living fish.
Compound in fruit peels halts damage and spurs neuronal repair in multiple sclerosis
Ursolic acid, abundant in fruit peels and some herbs, both prevents and repairs neurons in animal models of multiple sclerosis.
Lifestyle trumps geography in determining makeup of gut microbiome
Researchers studied the gut microbiomes of wild apes in the Republic of Congo, of captive apes in zoos in the US, and of people from around the world and discovered...
New method to monitor Alzheimer's proteins
Physicists at the Center for Integrated Nanostructure Physics (CINAP), within the Institute for Basic Science (IBS, South Korea), have reported a new method to identify the aggregation state of amyloid...
Here's how scientists are tracking the genetic evolution of COVID-19
When you hear the term "evolutionary tree," you may think of Charles Darwin and the study of the relationships between different species over the span of millions of years.
Researchers reveal new understandings of synthetic gene circuits
Recent discoveries by two research teams in the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University are advancing the field of synthetic biology.
'You can fight this': We survived COVID-19, and so can you
An Ottawa couple's experience of contracting and surviving COVID-19. Here's what they learned about the importance of being vigilant and well-prepared.
Studying animal coronavirus defences is opening route to human treatments
A team that has spent the last five years developing a pipeline of technologies that can churn out a remedy for almost any newly emerging virus may have treatments ready...
'Smart toilet' monitors for signs of disease
There's a new disease-detecting technology in the lab, and its No. 1 source of data is number one. And number two.
Scientists develop new way to identify the sex of sea turtle hatchlings
A new minimally invasive technique greatly enhances the ability to measure neonate turtle sex ratios. This is the first time that differences in sex-specific protein expression patterns have been identified...
Engineered virus might be able to block coronavirus infections, mouse study shows
No vaccines exist that protect people against infections by coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, or the ones that cause SARS and MERS. As COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc, many...
Lipid gradient that keeps your eyes wet
New understandings of how lipids function within tears could lead to better drugs for treating dry eye disease.
New genetic tools expand capacity to investigate microbes
A team of international scientists has developed a suite of more than 200 new genetic techniques for using marine microbes to investigate a host of questions in biology. The new...
How soil microbes help plants resist disease
Plants can't self-isolate during a disease outbreak, but they can get help from a friend—beneficial soil microbes help plants ward off a wide range of diseases. Now, Texas A&M AgriLife...
Innovative bird species less likely to go extinct
Bird species that can develop new ways to find food and incorporate new foods into their diet are less vulnerable to extinction, according to a new study.
How understanding the dynamics of yeast prions can shed light on neurodegenerative diseases
Prions are a class of misfolded proteins that form aggregates called "amyloid fibrils." These aggregates are the main culprit behind severe mammalian neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's. What makes them so...
DNA Lego bricks enable fast rewritable data storage
DNA data storage may become easier to read and write than before, according to researchers at the University of Cambridge Cavendish Laboratory in the U.K. They report on a technique...
Why bad smells stick around and how to eliminate them
Ever wondered why something smells the way it does—good or bad—and why some odors just hang around no matter what you do to get rid of them?
Fungi found in cotton can decrease root knot nematode galling
Texas A&M University scientists found that a surprising number of fungi naturally associated with cultivated cotton were capable of curtailing the negative effects of a plant parasite known as the...