Latest science news in Biology & Nature
New genome mapper is like 'upgrading from dial-up to fibre-optic'
Researchers from Harvard University, the Centro Nacional de Análisis Genómico (CNAG) and the Center for Genomic Regulation (CRG) have described the first technology able to visualize hundreds to potentially thousands...
Single cells have their own defenses against pathogens
In the fight against pathogens, most researchers have focused on the diverse immune system arsenal that protects people against infection. However, the lab of Yale microbiologist Jorge Galan explored an evolutionarily ancient...
Video: Single cells have their own defenses against pathogens
In the fight against pathogens, most researchers have focused on the diverse immune system arsenal that protects people against infection. However, the lab of Yale microbiologist Jorge Galan explored an...
Team develops computational method to explore evolution's influence on preterm birth
Human pregnancy can easily be taken for granted as a natural and regularly occurring event, but it is the product of the complex, coordinated function of two bodies, mother and...
Cycad plants provide an important 'ecosystem service'
A study published in the June 2020 edition of the peer-reviewed journal Horticulturae shows that cycads, which are in decline and among the world's most threatened group of plants, provide...
Scientists identify enzyme responsible for body odor
New research suggests a unique group of bacteria evolved a specialized enzyme that produces the molecules responsible for body odor's recognizable stench.
Video: Slowing deforestation is the key to preventing the next pandemic – but what does that cost?
In a recent journal article, a team of biologists, medical scientists, environmental scientists and conservationists proposed a number of measures to reduce the likelihood of future pandemics, many of which...
Studying interactions between ground-nesting bees and soils
Many living creatures live in soil. Though their sizes range from microscopic soil microbes to larger animals like gopher turtles, they all call soil their "home." Included in these ground-dwelling...
Scientists publish seminal study into impact of nanoparticles on living species
An international team of scientists has completed the first ever study into the potential impact of naturally occurring and man-made nanoparticles on the health of all types of the major...
How a scientific spat over how to name species turned into a big plus for nature
Taxonomy, or the naming of species, is the foundation of modern biology. It might sound like a fairly straightforward exercise, but in fact it's complicated and often controversial.
Researchers quantify, characterize and identify functions of collagen, its subtypes
Found in cartilage, bones, blood vessels, skin, and other connective tissues, collagens are the most abundant proteins by weight in the human body. In an article published recently in Nature...
Designer nanozymes for reactive-oxygen species scavenging anti-inflammatory therapy
In a recent report, Yufeng Liu and a team of interdisciplinary researchers in China developed an integrated nanozyme cascade to eliminate excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS; oxygen free radicals). The...
TV personality Regis Philbin dead at 88
Longtime television host Regis Philbin died Friday of natural causes, family members said. He was 88.
Butterflies wing their way into the garden with the proper room and board
Fragile, beautiful, and fascinating, butterflies flutter their way into our gardens and seem to just as quickly wing their way out.
Redefining life expectancy and maximum lifespan for wildlife management
A new study has developed a method to determine the life expectancy and maximum lifespan of wild animal populations.
A farmer, 'little ghosts' and 18,000 tobacco plants: How COVID-19 upended farming in South Korea
The coronavirus has frozen migrant labor, leaving farmers and workers desperate.
U of R team developing tool for more accurate herbicide spraying
A team from the University of Regina hopes their tool, which helps farmers more accurately spray herbicides, reduces their environmental impact and boosts their bottom line.
Manitoba black bear rescue wants baby bear cubs reunited with sibling
A Manitoba black bear rescue group is asking people in Pinawa to watch out for a lone baby black bear cub that needs to be reunited with its siblings.
Reef sharks around the world are in trouble
Marine biologists have long known that in the open seas, decades of overfishing have devastated shark populations in many regions. Shark populations in coastal areas are less well understood, however. (Global FinPrint/)A massive...
Black bear deemed risk to public safety killed by Parks Canada officials in Waterton
Wildlife officials were forced to kill a black bear that had become a risk to the public in Waterton Lakes National Park after it habituated to feeding on human food...
How the zebrafish got its stripes
Animal patterns—the stripes, spots and rosettes seen in the wild—are a source of endless fascination, and now researchers at the University Bath have developed a robust mathematical model to explain...
Researchers develop an optical fiber made of gel derived from marine algae
An optical fiber made of agar has been produced at the University of Campinas (UNICAMP) in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. This device is edible, biocompatible and biodegradable. It...
Life in the pits: Scientists identify the key enzyme behind body odor
Scientists have discovered a unique enzyme responsible for the pungent characteristic smell we call body odor or BO.
International team of scientists to preserve Lake Titicaca giant frog
An international team of scientific institutions will join forces to preserve the future of the Lake Titicaca giant frog, an endangered species, Bolivia's natural history museum said.
Researchers build first AI tool capable of identifying individual birds
New research demonstrates for the first time that artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to train computers to recognize individual birds, a task humans are unable to do. The research...
Flexible ethylene sensor indicates when kiwi fruit is ripe
The sensor's easy-to-see color change could help growers and consumers monitor fruit status
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Why ceramides' critical role in protecting the skin barrier is more important than ever
Neurons are genetically programmed to have long lives
Most neurons are created during embryonic development and have no ''backup'' after birth. Researchers have generally believed that their survival is determined nearly extrinsically, or by outside forces, such as...