Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Virus gives Sri Lanka's threatened elephants a reprieve
Sri Lanka's coronavirus lockdown has helped reduce the death toll from clashes between elephants and humans, conservationists have said.
Police solve cold case 24 years after Alaskan teen was killed
Twenty-four years after 17-year-old Jessica Baggen was raped and killed, police in Alaska said they have identified the man responsible through DNA analysis.
'AeroNabs' promise powerful, inhalable protection against COVID-19
Scientists have devised a novel approach to halting the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The researchers engineered a completely synthetic, production-ready molecule that straitjackets the crucial SARS-CoV-2...
Miami Dolphins place star CB Xavien Howard on COVID-19 list
The Miami Dolphins put star cornerback Xavien Howard on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
Singer, guitarist Trini Lopez dies of COVID-19 at 83
Singer and guitarist Trini Lopez, most known for his 1960s recordings of "If I Had a Hammer" and "Lemon Tree" died on Tuesday of complications from COVID-19. He was 83.
Manmade pollutants could be harming marine mammals more than we think
Researchers identified multiple bottlenose dolphins with high levels of mercury in their livers. Marine scientists are only beginning to understand the relationship between ocean pollutants and sea animals' health. (NOAA/Amy Van Cise /)Marine...
Algal blue light switch control of electrical excitation in plants
What is the role and molecular basis of electrical signaling in higher plants? This can now be investigated non-invasively for the first time.
Primate voice boxes are evolving at rapid pace
Scientists have discovered that the larynx, or voice box, of primates is significantly larger relative to body size, has greater variation, and is under faster rates of evolution than in...
AI-enhanced precision medicine identifies novel autism subtype
A novel precision medicine approach enhanced by artificial intelligence has laid the groundwork for what could be the first biomedical screening and intervention tool for a subtype of autism, reports...
Monkey escapes enclosure at Irish zoo
A monkey escaped its enclosure at a zoo in Ireland and led zookeepers riding golf carts on a chase through the facility before being recaptured.
Analysis pinpoints most important forests for biodiversity and conservation in Central Africa
A study by WCS and partners produced new analyses to pinpoint the most important forests for biodiversity conservation remaining in Central Africa. The results highlight the importance of the Democratic...
Harvard scientists find vision relates to movement
To get a better look at the world around them, animals constantly are in motion. Primates and people use complex eye movements to focus their vision (as humans do when reading, for...
Enzyme discovered in the gut could lead to new disease biomarker
Enzymes used by bacteria to break down mucus in the gut could provide a useful biomarker for intestinal diseases, according to new research.
Coronavirus transmission risk increases along wildlife supply chains
Coronaviruses were detected in a high proportion of bats and rodents in Viet Nam from 2013 to 2014, with an increasing proportion of positive samples found along the wildlife supply...
Agtech to the rescue in a pandemic: Adapting plant labs for human testing
Sophisticated agtech labs and equipment used for crop and animal breeding, seed testing, and monitoring of plant and animal diseases could easily be adapted for diagnostic testing and tracing in...
Modelling parasitic worm metabolism suggests strategy for developing new drugs against infection
Scientists have revealed a way to eradicate parasitic worms by stopping them from using alternative metabolism pathways provided by bacteria that live within them, according to new findings.
Protein uses two antiviral strategies to ward off infections
To protect humans against infection, a protein called MARCH8 tags the vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) for destruction while it merely holds HIV hostage, a new study shows.
In Photos: Viola Davis turns 55: a look back
Oscar-winning actress Viola Davis turns 55 on August 11, 2020. Here's a look back at her career through the years.
Why does COVID-19 impact only some organs, not others?
COVID-19 proliferates through a receptor present in most of the human body. But if the receptor is so pervasive, why does the virus seem to target only specific organs?
First oral anthrax vaccine for livestock, wildlife
There may soon be a new weapon in the centuries-old battle against anthrax in wildlife.
Justice Dept. lawyer: AG William Barr may have had secret info on Michael Flynn case
A Justice Department attorney told a federal appeals court that Attorney General William Barr may have had secret information that led him to request that charges against Michael Flynn be...
Primate voice boxes are evolving at rapid pace
Scientists have discovered that the larynx, or voice box, of primates is significantly larger relative to body size, has greater variation, and is under faster rates of evolution than in...
Pasteurization inactivates COVID-19 virus in human milk: new research
A new study has confirmed what researchers already suspected to be the case: heat inactivates SARS-CoV-2 in human milk.
Research exposes new vulnerability for SARS-CoV-2
Using nanometer-level simulations, researchers have discovered a positively charged site (known as the polybasic cleavage site) located 10 nanometers from the actual binding site on the spike protein. The positively...
Researchers developing first oral anthrax vaccine for livestock, wildlife
There may soon be a new weapon in the centuries-old battle against anthrax in wildlife thanks to groundbreaking work at the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical...
A century ago, it was a Florida landscape shrub. Now, it's a pest plant that keeps spreading
Decorative landscaping in the early 1900s introduced a new shrub to Florida whose young leaves were pink and whose berries were a deep purple. The plant, called shoebutton ardisia, started...
Modelling parasitic worm metabolism suggests strategy for developing new drugs against infection
Scientists have revealed a way to eradicate parasitic worms by stopping them from using alternative metabolism pathways provided by bacteria that live within them, according to new findings published today...
Recipe for success: Interaction proteomics become a household item
Proteins in human cells do not function in isolation and their interactions with other proteins define their cellular functions. Therefore, detailed understanding of protein-protein interactions (PPIs) is the key for...