Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Older bulls hold important leadership roles in elephant societies
Older male elephants, or bulls, are vitally important to all-male elephant groups, according to a new study, leading migrations and helping younger bulls find food and water.
Start here to make a protein: Structure of mRNA initiation complex could give insight into cancer and other diseases
Researchers at the University of California, Davis and the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, U.K. have solved the the structure of the complex formed when mRNA is being...
Reconstitution of autophagosome nucleation defines Atg9 vesicles as seeds for membrane formation
Autophagosomes form de novo in a manner that is incompletely understood. Particularly enigmatic are autophagy-related protein 9 (Atg9)–containing vesicles that are required for autophagy machinery assembly but do not supply...
Changes in regeneration-responsive enhancers shape regenerative capacities in vertebrates
Vertebrates vary in their ability to regenerate, and the genetic mechanisms underlying such disparity remain elusive. Comparative epigenomic profiling and single-cell sequencing of two related teleost fish uncovered species-specific and...
Engineering human ACE2 to optimize binding to the spike protein of SARS coronavirus 2
The spike (S) protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) binds angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) on host cells to initiate entry, and soluble ACE2 is a therapeutic candidate...
Evolution and epidemic spread of SARS-CoV-2 in Brazil
Brazil currently has one of the fastest-growing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) epidemics in the world. Because of limited available data, assessments of the impact of nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) on this...
Structural basis for translational shutdown and immune evasion by the Nsp1 protein of SARS-CoV-2
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative agent of the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. A major virulence factor of SARS-CoVs is the nonstructural protein 1...
Structure of a human 48S translational initiation complex
A key step in translational initiation is the recruitment of the 43S preinitiation complex by the cap-binding complex [eukaryotic initiation factor 4F (eIF4F)] at the 5' end of messenger RNA...
Regulation of sleep homeostasis mediator adenosine by basal forebrain glutamatergic neurons
Sleep and wakefulness are homeostatically regulated by a variety of factors, including adenosine. However, how neural activity underlying the sleep-wake cycle controls adenosine release in the brain remains unclear. Using...
BARDA funds patch- and pill-based vaccine technology for COVID-19
The minor funding for 4 groups could provide an alternative to needles
Gene-edited embryos should not be used for pregnancy, international commission says
More research is needed to ensure the safety of heritable genome changes
Secrets of male elephant society revealed in the wild
Mature male elephants play a crucial role in passing on their knowledge to younger males, a study suggests.
New species of freshwater crustacea found in the hottest place on Earth
A new species of freshwater Crustacea has been discovered during an expedition of the desert Lut, known as the hottest place on Earth.
Excitable cells: Tracking the evolution of electrical signalling in plants
A study led by researchers from Tasmania, Chile and Germany has furthered our understanding of plant evolution by tracking the origins of electrical signaling components that plants developed to communicate...
Study reveals lactose tolerance happened quickly in Europe
A new study published in Current Biology reveals that the ability for humans to digest milk (lactase persistence) spread through Central Europe quickly in evolutionary terms.
Zimbabwe finds 10 more dead elephants, suspects bacteria
Zimbabwe wildlife authorities on Thursday said they suspect ten more elephants succumbed to a bacterial infection that killed 12 young pachyderms last week.
New species of freshwater Crustacea found in the hottest place on earth
A new species of freshwater Crustacea has been discovered during an expedition of the desert Lut, known as the hottest place on Earth.
Editing immune response could make gene therapy more effective
Gene therapy generally relies on viruses, such as adeno-associated virus (AAV), to deliver genes into a cell. In the case of CRISPR-based gene therapies, molecular scissors can then snip out...
Natural pest control saving billions
Biological control of insect pests - where 'natural enemies' keep pests at bay - is saving farmers in Asia and the Pacific billions of dollars, according to new research. Biological...
'Hotspots' of a coronavirus infection in the human body
An infection with the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 can affect multiple organs. Researchers have investigated cellular factors that could be significant for an infection. They analyzed the activity of 28 specific genes...
New tool allows researchers to predict key functional sites in proteins
A new technology that uses a protein’s structure to predict the inner wiring that controls the protein’s function and dynamics is now available for scientists to utilize. The tool, developed...
Scientists discover new rules about “runaway” transcription
On the evolutionary tree, humans diverged from yeast roughly 1 billion years ago. By comparison, two seemingly similar species of bacteria, Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis, have been evolving apart for roughly twice...
Using Tattoo Ink to Find Cancer
The humble ink in a tattoo artist’s needle could be the key to improving the detection of cancer, thanks to new research from the USC Viterbi Department of Biomedical Engineering....
Old males vital to elephant societies
Old male elephants play a key role in leading all-male groups, new research suggests.
Could plants help us find dead bodies? Forensic botanists want to know
Search teams looking for human remains are often slowed by painstaking on-foot pursuits or aerial searches that are obscured by forest cover. In a Science & Society article appearing September...
Study reveals lactose tolerance happened quickly in Europe
The ability for humans to digest milk as adults has altered our dietary habits and societies for centuries. But when and how that ability—known as lactase persistence or lactose tolerance—occurred...
Jamie Foxx, Teyonah Parris join Netflix sci-fi film 'They Cloned Tyrone'
Jamie Foxx and Teyonah Parris will star with John Boyega in the new movie "They Cloned Tyrone."
Why naming neurons can help cure brain disease
A group of 74 scientists proposed the use of single-cell RNA sequencing as the skeleton for a unified classification of cortical neurons. The 'Copenhagen Classification' came out of an international...