Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Primates are facing an impending extinction crisis—but we know very little about what will actually protect them
From lemurs to orangutans, tarsiers to gorillas, primates are captivating and sometimes unnervingly similar to us. So it's not surprising that this group of more than 500 species receives a...
Scientists identify an enzyme that facilitates grafting between plants of different families
Scientists have found that the tobacco plant Nicotiana can maintain grafts between a broad range of species. Using Nicotiana as an intermediary, they succeeded in indirectly grafting a tomato scion...
Study finds how body cells move within a tissue
A new mathematical model may explain how body cells get their shapes and what makes them move within a tissue. The model provides fundamental knowledge for applications in tissue engineering,...
First assessment of naturalized, invasive and potentially invasive plan
CABI scientists have led the first assessment of naturalized, invasive and potentially invasive plant species present in Laikipia County, Kenya, which hosts the highest populations of endangered large mammals in...
How cGAS enzyme is kept bottled up
In higher organisms, detection of DNA in the cytoplasm triggers an immune reaction. The enzyme that senses "misplaced" DNA is also found in the nucleus, but nuclear DNA has no...
Artificial reefs take on a towering presence as havens for marine predators
Acting like high-rise timeshares in the sea, shipwrecks and other artificial reefs can support dense populations of sharks, mackerels, barracudas, jacks and other large migratory marine predators essential to ocean...
She's trying to fill the void in Salvadoran cookbooks. Will book publishers listen?
On a mission to document Salvadoran recipes, Karla Vasquez of SalviSoul has run into a major stumbling block: the U.S. cookbook publishing industry.
China, India agree to defuse tensions, more dialogue over Himalayan border
Leaders in China and India have reached a five-point agreement in the ongoing Himalayan border dispute that calls for troops to disengage in the contested area.
Climate change recasts the insect communities of the Arctic
Through a unique collaboration, researchers at the University of Helsinki have exposed major changes taking place in the insect communities of the Arctic. Their study reveals how climate change is...
Scientists study color change from green to red in the fluorescent protein
Scientists from the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech), the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry (IBCh RAS) and Lomonosov Moscow State University (MSU) undertook a detailed study on green-to-red photoconversion...
Conservation officers safely capture fruit-loving grizzly in Squamish, B.C., neighbourhood
A grizzly bear that was hanging out in a Squamish neighbourhood this week has been captured and will be released away from human homes.
New genetic analysis method could advance personal genomics
Geneticists could identify the causes of disorders that currently go undiagnosed if standard practices for collecting individual genetic information were expanded to capture more variants that researchers can now decipher,...
GTEx Consortium releases fresh insights into how DNA differences govern gene expression
Scientists have completed a wide-ranging set of studies documenting how small changes in DNA sequence can impact gene expression across more than four dozen tissues in the human body. These...
California death toll tops 14,000, but new coronavirus cases continue to decline
COVID-19 deaths in California now top 14,000, but the state continues to see a decline in new cases
Safeguarding of key DNA sensor in innate immune system
New research reveals in detail how the nucleosomes inside our cells block cGAS from unintentionally triggering the body's innate immune response to our own DNA.
Odors produced by soil microbes attract red fire ants to safer nest sites
Newly mated queens of the red fire ant select nest sites with a relatively low pathogen risk by detecting odors produced by soil bacteria that inhibit the growth of ant-infecting...
Paul Rudd to narrate 'Tiny World' nature docu-series
"Ant Man" icon Paul Rudd will be heard narrating "Tiny World," a natural world docu-series on Apple TV+.
How coronavirus took hold in North America and in Europe
Early interventions were effective at stamping out coronavirus infections before they spread, according to a new study. Combining virus genomics with epidemiologic simulations and travel records, the research shows that...
Analysis of Australian labradoodle genome reveals an emphasis on the 'oodle'
The creator of the Australian labradoodle set out to mix poodles and Labrador retrievers to develop a hypoallergic service dog. But, according to a new study, the breed that developed...
Without otters, Alaskan reefs more vulnerable to climate change, urchins
Coral reefs and kelp forests in Alaska have been left vulnerable to climate change and sea urchin predation in the absence of the Aleutian sea otter.
Droplets of an herbicide-loaded hydrogel stick their landing
Delivering herbicides and pesticides with hydrogels could help them stay on leaves when sprayed
Research sheds light on earliest stages of Angelman syndrome
New research provides insights into the earliest stages of Angelman syndrome. The work also demonstrates how human cerebral organoids can be used to shed light on genetic disorders that affect...
DNA-based nanotechnology stimulates potent antitumor immune responses
Combining their expertise in protein engineering and synthetic DNA technology, scientists successfully delivered nanoparticle antitumor vaccines that stimulated robust CD8 T cell immunity and controlled melanoma growth in preclinical models.
Diamondback moth uses plant defense substances as oviposition cues
Researchers showed that isothiocyanates produced by cruciferous plants to fend off pests serve as oviposition cues. The scientists identified two olfactory receptors whose sole function is to detect these defense...
How chemical diversity in plants facilitates plant-animal interactions
'As we continue to lose global biodiversity, we are also losing chemical diversity and the chance for discovery,' said a researcher.
The surprising rhythms of Leopards: Females are early birds, males are nocturnal
After 10 months of camera surveillance in the Tanzanian rainforest, researchers have concluded that female and male leopards are active at very different times of the day. The discovery contradicts...
Human norovirus strains differ in sensitivity to the body's first line of defense
Human norovirus strains differ in sensitivity to interferon, one of the body's first line of defense.
Mutant tomato helps to crack the secrets of fruiting
Researchers have found that fruit development in tomatoes rewires their central metabolism. The plant hormone gibberellin, which regulates major parts of plant development, triggers the process of fruiting. Using a...