Latest science news in Biology & Nature
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 in eLife shows.
Researchers find clues to clarify why cohesine has a role in cancer and cardiac development
Ana Losada, from the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), is the scientist who identified cohesin in vertebrates, a protein that is essential in cell division. Losada has studied cohesin...
Coronavirus strikes indoor mushroom farms
Coronavirus outbreaks struck at least a half dozen mushroom farms in Washington, Tennessee, Colorado and Pennsylvania, sickening scores of workers.
The Moon and stars are a compass for nocturnal animals – but light pollution is leading them astray
Many nocturnal animal species use light from the moon and stars to migrate at night in search of food, shelter or mates. But in our recent study we uncovered how...
Gluten in wheat: What has changed during 120 years of breeding?
In recent years, the number of people affected by celiac disease, wheat allergy or gluten or wheat sensitivity has risen sharply. But why is this the case? Could it be...
Singapore crushes ivory from around 300 elephants to deter illegal trade
Singapore started crushing nine tonnes of elephant ivory on Tuesday as part of its ongoing fight against illegal trade in wildlife.
Dolphin study shows mammals age at different rates
A team of researchers from Epitracker, Inc. and Seraphina Therapeutics, Inc., working with the U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program, has found that dolphins age at different rates. In their paper...
The structural basis of focal adhesion kinase activation on lipid membranes unravelled
A research team led by Daniel Lietha has just published in The EMBO Journal the mechanistic details of the activation of the focal adhesion kinase (FAK) on lipid membranes. Lietha...
Bees use shark 'supersense' to help find food
Flying insects such as bees and moths have secret senses that allow them to 'feel' nearby flowers and navigate over long distances, according to new research.
Kenya's coast is losing huge amounts of seagrass. But all isn't lost
The UN environmental program has released a report warning that fishing trawlers, seaweed farming, and tourism off the coast of Kenya is threatening the survival of seagrasses. Moina Spooner, from...
Targeting the bacteria inside insects for improved pest management
Any home gardener knows of the long-running battle against insect pests.
Use of neonicotinoids found to reduce some bird populations
A trio of researchers, two with the University of Illinois, the other Auburn University, has found that the use of neonicotinoid pesticides on farm crops leads to reductions in some...
Avian tree of life better resolved
Researchers led by Manfred Gahr of the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology in Seewiesen have investigated the relationship of bird families. For the first time, they have been able to...
Bees use shark ‘supersense’ to help find food
Flying insects such as bees and moths have secret senses that allow them to ‘feel’ nearby flowers and navigate over long distances, according to new research. Armed with sensitive antennae...
New shrimp species discovered in Panama's Coiba National Park
John Steinbeck wrote Log From the Sea of Cortez in 1951, his chronicle of an expedition with marine biologist Ed Ricketts along the coast of California and Mexico. Ricketts named...
New method captures neural and vascular dynamics at high spatiotemporal resolution deep in brain
A joint research team led by Dr. Wang Kai and Dr. Du Jiulin from the Institute of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology of the Chinese...
Researchers develop novel autonomous dynamic regulation system in streptomyces
Microbes have been engineered as renewable cell factories for producing a vast array of products, such as pharmaceuticals, biofuels and bio-chemicals. However, static engineering strategies often result in metabolic imbalance,...
Researchers reveal hierarchical transcriptional regulatory network for plant somatic embryogenesis
Owing to their sessile nature, plants maintain cell pluripotency or totipotency throughout their life cycles. Somatic plant cells are able to regenerate themselves in response to mechanical stimuli, or to...
For bacteria, a small genome means some serious decluttering—even in the ribosome
Researchers from Skoltech, Lomonosov Moscow State University and the Kharkevich Institute for Information Transmission Problems have studied the genomes of some 200 strains of bacteria to determine which proteins in...
Researchers identify a protein that may help SARS-CoV-2 spread rapidly through cells
Eric Ross and Sean Cascarina, biochemistry and molecular biology researchers at Colorado State University, have released a research paper identifying a protein encoded by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19,...
Can ageing really be 'treated' or 'cured'? An evolutionary biologist explains
As time passes, our fertility declines and our bodies start to fail. These natural changes are what we call aging.
In Photos: Viola David 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.
Showdown between Split Lip and The Boss, 2 of Banff's most notorious grizzlies, caught on camera
Canmore-based wildlife photographer John E. Marriott was just out for a bit of camping with his family when an epic grizzly showdown between Split Lip and The Boss began right...
Early sightings of Atlantic salmon in Fundy National Park an encouraging sign
Biologists at Fundy National Park are excited that eight salmon have been spotted in the Upper Salmon River, and hope it means there will be a good salmon run in the fall.
Trash-Collecting Researchers Find Dietary Patterns in Discarded Hair Clippings
People in low-income neighborhoods eat more proteins from animals and less of them from vegetables, a study suggests -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
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 published in Nature Communications.
Famous birthdays for Aug. 11: Viola Davis, Steve Wozniak
Actor Viola Davis turns 55 and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak turns 70, among the famous birthdays for Aug. 11.
An ancient association? Crickets disperse seeds of early-diverging orchid Apostasia nipponica
A professor presents evidence of the apparently unusual seed dispersal system by crickets and camel crickets in Apostasia nipponica (Apostasioideae), acknowledged as an early-diverging lineage of Orchidaceae.