Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Mouthwashes could reduce the risk of coronavirus transmission, study shows
Results from cell culture experiments show that commercially available preparations have an effect on Sars-Cov-2 viruses.
What's open and closed this week: Southern California beaches, parks, trails
Coronavirus restrictions continue around California but most public spaces are open. The Apple fire and the Dam fire have some trails closed.
New research reveals previously hidden features of plant genomes
An international team has decoded the full genome for the black mustard plant -- research that will advance breeding of oilseed mustard crops and provides a foundation for improved breeding...
Imaging method highlights new role for cellular 'skeleton' protein
While your skeleton helps your body to move, fine skeleton-like filaments within your cells likewise help cellular structures to move. Now, researchers have developed a new imaging method that lets...
Biology blurs line between sexes, behaviors
Biological sex is typically understood in binary terms: male and female. However, there are many examples of animals that are able to modify sex-typical biological and behavioral features and even...
Utilizing agtech plant labs for human testing could help fight pandemic, study says
Just as redeploying a fleet of small British fishing boats helped during the Battle of Dunkirk, marshalling the research equipment and expertise of the many agtech labs around the world...
Look: BTS sports new hair colors in 'Dynamite' photos
K-pop group BTS shared teasers for its forthcoming English-language single, "Dynamite."
Confused by whole grain labels on food packaging? Study finds you're not alone
Whole grain labels are confusing to consumers, according to a new study that found many made the wrong choice when asked to pick the healthier option based on product labels....
Biology blurs line between sexes, behaviors
Biological sex is typically understood in binary terms: male and female. However, there are many examples of animals that are able to modify sex-typical biological and behavioral features and even...
'MacGruber': Peacock orders Will Forte comedy series
"MacGruber," a new series based on Will Forte's "MacGyver" parody, is coming to Peacock.
Fireflies shed light on the function of mitochondria
Tiny factories float inside our cells and provide them with almost all the energy they need: the mitochondria. Their effectiveness decreases when we get older, but also when we face...
Evolutionary assimilation of foreign DNA in a new host
All life is subject to evolution in the form of mutations that change the DNA sequence of an organism's offspring, after which natural selection allows the 'fittest' mutants to survive...
New research reveals previously hidden features of plant genomes
An international team led by the Plant Phenotyping and Imaging Research Centre (P2IRC) at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) and researchers at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) has decoded the...
Detailed molecular workings of a key system in learning and memory formation
Biochemists report how they used advanced sequencing technology to clear up uncertainty and determine all variants of a single protein/enzyme known as calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) in the hippocampus,...
Blue Jackets beat Maple Leafs, advance to NHL playoffs
The Columbus Blue Jackets have clinched a spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs after a 3-0 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 5 of a qualification-round series.
Land-use change disrupts wild plant pollination on a global scale
Human changes to the environment have been linked to widespread pollinator declines. New research shows that intensive land use will further decrease pollination and reproductive success of wild plants, especially...
How maths modelling helps efforts to eradicate banana bunchy top virus
Modelling the predicted movements of pervasive sap-sucking tiny insects before they infest banana crops has the potential to become a key tactic in the fight against a devastating virus, according...
Nanocatalysts that remotely control chemical reactions inside living cells
The enzymes responsible for catalytic reactions in our body's biological reactions are difficult to use for diagnosis or treatment as they react only to certain molecules or have low stability....
Biodiversity may limit invasions: Lessons from lizards on Panama Canal islands
Introduced species can become invasive, damaging ecosystems and disrupting economies through explosive population growth. One mechanism underlying population expansion in invasive populations is 'enemy release', whereby the invader experiences relaxation...
Aquatic robots can remove contaminant particles from water
Scientists have developed a 1cm by 1cm wireless artificial aquatic polyp, which can remove contaminants from water. Apart from cleaning, this soft robot could be also used in medical diagnostic...
Previously undescribed lineage of Archaea illuminates microbial evolution
Scientists describe a previously unknown phylum of aquatic Archaea that are likely dependent on partner organisms for growth while potentially being able to conserve some energy by fermentation.
Crickets disperse seeds of early-diverging orchid Apostasia nipponica, suggesting an ancient association
Associate Professor Suetsugu Kenji (Kobe University Graduate School of Science) has found unusual seed dispersal systems by crickets and camel crickets in Apostasia nipponica (Apostasioideae), acknowledged as an early-diverging...
Multi-species bacterial communities bounce back from environmental disturbances
Scientists from Finland and Germany used bacteria as an example to study how communities consisting of several species respond to disturbances in their laboratory environment. Similar kinds of perturbations can...
Imaging method highlights new role for cellular 'skeleton' protein
While your skeleton helps your body to move, fine skeleton-like filaments within your cells likewise help cellular structures to move. Now, Salk researchers have developed a new imaging method that...
Previously undescribed lineage of Archaea illuminates microbial evolution
In a publication in Nature Communications last Friday, NIOZ scientists Nina Dombrowski and Anja Spang and their collaboration partners describe a previously unknown phylum of aquatic Archaea that are likely...
Nanocatalysts that remotely control chemical reactions inside living cells
The enzymes responsible for catalytic reactions in our body's biological reactions are difficult to use for diagnosis or treatment as they react only to certain molecules or have low stability....
Captive beluga whales released into Iceland sea sanctuary
Two beluga whales from a Shanghai aquarium have returned to the sea in an Icelandic sanctuary, conservationists said Monday, expressing hopes of creating a model for rehoming some 300 belugas...
Researchers discover how genome controls early human development
A team led by scientists from the University of Manchester has discovered how our genome controls the development of many of the organs critical to human life.