Latest science news in Biology & Nature
How a gooey slime helps bacteria survive
Researchers found that the bacterium C. perfringens modulates the structure of its biofilm at different temperatures by regulating the expression of the novel extracellular protein BsaA. They showed the number...
Novel approach improves graphene-based supercapacitors
An efficient in situ pathway to generate and attach oxygen functional groups to graphitic electrodes for supercapacitors by inducing hydrolysis of water molecules within the gel electrolyte.
Conservation dilemma over saving the giant panda
Other species have almost disappeared from areas set up to protect giant pandas.
Water beetles can live on after being eaten and excreted by a frog
For most insects, the sticky, slingshot ride straight into a frog’s mouth spells the end. But not for one stubborn water beetle. Instead of succumbing to the frog’s digestive juices, an eaten Regimbartia...
New species of fungus sticking out of beetles named after the COVID-19 quarantine
A major comprehensive study on Herpomycetales and Laboulbeniales, two orders of unique ectoparasitic fungi associated with insects and other arthropods (class Laboulbeniomycetes) in Belgium and the Netherlands was published in...
Studying the genome of mountain goats shows us how they adapted to their environment
Seeing a mountain goat in the wild of southeast Alaska for the first time, with its stark white coat and graceful posture against a lush green mountain landscape, is an...
Iron-mediated cancer cell activity: A new regulation mechanism
CNRS researchers at the Institut Curie have recently shown that cancer cells use a membrane protein that has been known for several decades to internalize iron. Published in Nature Chemistry,...
An insect species can actively escape from the vents of predators via the digestive system
Prey can evade predators and also avoid attacks. However, some can escape from inside a predator after being swallowed. For example, some animals that can survive predators' digestive systems are...
Cells relax their membrane to control protein sorting
The tension in the outer membrane of cells plays an important role in a number of biological processes. A localized drop in tension, for example, makes it easier for the...
How to Evaluate COVID-19 News without Freaking Out
Disinformation expert Carl Bergstrom gives tips on how to stay calm and make sense pandemic news -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
Cold-sensitive staphylococci reveal a weakness
Staphylococcus aureus—also known as "golden staph"—has the ability to develop in highly variable environmental conditions (on the skin, in the nose, on sterile surfaces, and so forth). Its great adaptability...
Neanderthal DNA contributes to genetic diversity, bringing more understanding to human evolution
The advent of DNA sequencing has given scientists a clearer insight into the interconnectedness of evolution and the web-like path that different organisms take, splitting apart and coming back together....
How a gooey slime helps bacteria survive
Bacteria have the ability to adapt to their environment to survive the host's immune defense. One such survival strategy includes the formation of a biofilm that prevents the immune system...
How to Evaluate COVID-19 News without Freaking Out
Disinformation expert Carl Bergstrom gives tips on how to stay calm and make sense pandemic news -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
Mitochondrial metabolite mediates longevity through epigenomes
In a study published in Science Advances, researchers from the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences revealed that mitochondrial metabolite acetyl-CoA links mitochondrial stress...
Scientists discover ancient enzymes evolve new tricks
Plants, herbivores, and pathogens are locked in a war for survival that is hundreds of millions of years old. Rooted in place and with no way to run, plants evolved...
Neural Switch Flips on Aggression in Male Mice
A separate set of cells in the same region regulate sexual behavior -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
Whale shark 'crushes' tourist in Australia
The woman is in a "serious but stable condition" after being hit by the shark's tail while snorkelling.
Jaguars' Gardner Minshew, Lions' Matt Stafford latest to land on COVID-19 list
Jacksonville Jaguars starting quarterback Gardner Minshew and Detroit Lions Pro Bowl signal-caller Matthew Stafford were among the latest additions to their teams' reserve/COVID-19 lists.
How to pick the right wildlife trail camera
Whether you're keeping an eye out for hunting season or just trying to learn more about the local wildlife, trail cams can open a window into a new world. (Celine Geeurickx/Unsplash/)This story originally...
'Deadliest Catch' deckhand Mahlon Reyes dead at 38
"Deadliest Catch" deckhand Mahlon Reyes has died in Montana at age 38, his family and Discovery Channel said.
Angels recover for a victory as coronavirus continues to play havoc with MLB
With the coronavirus playing havoc with MLB, Michael Hermosillo's sacrifice fly wins it for the Angels in the 10th after Hansel Robles blows a save.
Immune functions traded in for reproductive success
Researchers have investigated the phenomenon of sexual parasitism in deep-sea anglerfish. The scientists show that this very rare mode of reproduction is associated with the loss of adaptive immunity. In...
Juice WRLD's 'Legends Never Die' is the No. 1 album in the U.S.
Rapper Juice WRLD's "Legends Never Die" is the No. 1 album in the United States for a second consecutive week.
Enzyme screen unlocks easier route to 2-ketoacids
Aminotransferases convert cheap amino acids into high-value molecules
King penguin chick gets hands-on treatment after egg rolls and cracks on rocks
Caring staff at the Calgary Zoo did what all the king's horses and all the king's men couldn’t in the classic Humpty Dumpty nursery rhyme: Put an egg back together...
How human sperm really swim: New research challenges centuries-old assumption
A breakthrough in fertility science has shattered the universally accepted view of how sperm 'swim'.
Swim like a fish, sense like a robot
Researchers in the Penn State Department of Mechanical Engineering have been awarded $426,285 from the United States Army Research Office (ARO) to probe how to use fish-inspired robots to sense...