Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Sea butterflies’ shells determine how the snails swim
Sea butterflies flit through the ocean on gossamer wings, each species with a style of its own. These tiny marine snails, or thecosomes, migrate up to surface waters at night to feed...
New insights into evolution of gene expression
The long-term expression of genes in vertebrate organs predisposes these genes to be subsequently utilized in other organs during evolution.
Gen Z not ready to eat lab-grown meat
New research found that, despite having a great concern for the environment and animal welfare, 72 percent of Generation Z were not ready to accept cultured meat - defined in...
Real-time imaging shows how SARS-CoV-2 attacks human cells
"What we're doing here is actually visualizing binding of the spike to ACE 2 [angiotensin converting enzyme 2]," says Kirill Gorshkov a research scientist at the National Center for Advancing...
How we sleep today may forecast when Alzheimer’s disease begins
What would you do if you knew how long you had until Alzheimer’s disease set in? Don’t despair. New UC Berkeley research suggests one defense against this virulent form of...
Adult Swim's 'The Venture Bros.' canceled after seven seasons
Adult Swim has canceled animated action-comedy series "The Venture Bros." after seven seasons
Seaweed, slime and socks: The science behind the suds
The novel phosphodiesterase enzyme, discovered by a team from Newcastle University, UK, is used by bacteria to unstick themselves from seaweed. The bacteria release an enzyme which breaks down the...
The birth of a male sex chromosome in Atlantic herring
The evolution of sex chromosomes is of crucial importance in biology as it stabilizes the mechanism underlying sex determination and usually results in an equal sex ratio. An international team...
Okay, new idea: 'Oumuamua is an interstellar 'dust bunny'
Explaining the concept of a dust bunny to small children can be quite amusing. No, it's not actually alive. It's moving around because of really small currents of wind that...
Compassionate conservation: Just because we love invasive animals doesn't mean we should protect them
On an island off the Queensland coast, a battle is brewing over the fate of a small population of goats.
Australian flying foxes 'among Earth's most mobile mammals'
Australian species roam over massive distances and help the land recover from fire, research finds.
Predatory pine martens boosting red squirrel numbers
Pine martens prefer feasting on grey squirrels, which is helping to save reds, say conservationists.
'Mighty mice' stay musclebound in space, boon for astronauts
Bulked-up, mutant "mighty mice" held onto their muscle during a monthlong stay at the International Space Station, returning to Earth with ripped bodybuilder physiques, scientists reported Monday.
A new twist on DNA origami
A team of scientists has just announced the creation of a new type of meta-DNA structures that will open up the fields of optoelectronics (including information storage and encryption) as...
'Wild West' mentality lingers in modern populations of US mountain regions
Scientists looked at links between the personality profiles of over 3.3m US residents and the 'topography' of 37,227 ZIP codes. Distinct psychological mix associated with mountain populations is consistent with...
Genome sequencing accelerates cancer detection
Recent cancer studies have shown that genomic mutations leading to cancer can occur years, or even decades, before a patient is diagnosed. Researchers have developed a statistical model that analyses...
Acorn woodpeckers wage days-long battles over vacant territories, radio tag data show
When acorn woodpeckers inhabiting high-quality territories die, nearby birds begin a battle royal to win the vacant spot. Researchers used radio tags to understand the immense effort woodpecker warriors expend...
Genetic study of proteins is a breakthrough in drug development for complex diseases
An innovative genetic study of blood protein levels has demonstrated how genetic data can be used to support drug target prioritization by identifying the causal effects of proteins on diseases.
Genetic study of proteins is a breakthrough in drug development for complex diseases
An innovative genetic study of blood protein levels, led by researchers in the MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit (MRC-IEU) at the University of Bristol, has demonstrated how genetic data can be...
Acorn woodpeckers wage days-long battles over vacant territories, radio tag data show
When acorn woodpeckers inhabiting high-quality territories die, nearby birds begin a battle royal to win the vacant spot. Researchers used radio tags to understand the immense effort woodpecker warriors expend...
Viruses play critical role in evolution and survival of the species
As the world scrambles to control the growing COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, new research in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology shows viruses also play a key evolutionary role in mammals' ability...
A new twist on DNA origami: Meta-DNA structures transform the DNA nanotechnology world
A team of scientists from ASU and Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) led by Hao Yan, ASU's Milton Glick Professor in the School of Molecular Sciences, and director of the...
Researchers find conserved regeneration-responsive enhancers linked to tail regeneration in fish
A team of researchers from Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Stanford University has discovered conserved regeneration-responsive enhancers linked to tail regeneration in fish common to...
Taking the temperature of big game
Big game are usually resilient and adaptive mammals, but increased warming in productive regions of Alaska and the Great Plains poses a threat to populations of moose and bison.
Tryptophan supports intestinal tracts of stressed trouts
A biologist from RUDN University has found the most beneficial concentration of tryptophan for rainbow trout. When added to the diet of the fish, this amino acid supports the immune...
Vortex top hats emerge in superfluids
,An Australian-led study has provided new insight into the behavior of rotating superfluids.
Modular approach to dibenzo-fused ε-lactams through carbene bridging C-H activation
Due to their intriguing biological activities and potential usefulness to serve as key intermediates for drug discovery, compounds bearing dibenzo-fused seven-membered N-heterocyclic ring system have attracted much attention. So far,...
New insight into mammalian stem cell evolution
The genes regulating pluripotent stem cells in mammals are surprisingly similar across 48 species, Kyoto University researchers report in the journal Genome Biology and Evolution. The study also shows that...