Latest science news in Biology & Nature
What is SPF? A guide to understanding sunscreen labels
Confused by sunscreen terminology? Here is everything you need to know to understand sunscreen labels.
Honey bee colony aggression linked to gene regulatory networks
Collective behaviors are present across many different animal groups: schools of fish swimming in a swirling pattern together, large flocks of birds migrating through the night, groups of bees coordinating...
Wildlife officials: Reported alligator in Arizona was likely a beaver
Wildlife officials said reports of alligator sightings in an Arizona channel likely stemmed from a presence of a far more mundane animal: a beaver.
Repurposing Australian tobacco plants as 'biofactories' for medicines
University of Queensland researchers have shown Australian tobacco plants could be used as 'biofactories' to manufacture medicines on a large scale.
'An exciting possibility': Scientists discover markedly different kangaroos on either side of Australia's dingo fence
Australia's dingo fence is an internationally renowned mega-structure. Stretching more than 5,600 kilometers, it was completed in the 1950s to keep sheep safe from dingoes. But it also inadvertently protects...
Study finds weedy seadragons genetically connected across the Great Southern Reef
Common, or weedy, seadragons (Phyllopteryx taeniolatus) are iconic fish in their native waters of the Great Southern Reef, the southern coastline of Australia.
Integrating robotics into wildlife conservation: Enhancing predator deterrents through innovative movement strategies
The coexistence of wildlife and agricultural practices has long posed challenges for wildlife conservation, especially when conflicts arise. Livestock predation is a prime example of such conflicts, requiring effective management...
Ticks prove resilient to extreme temperatures
Tick season is here, along with the increased danger of Lyme disease, and it turns out the tiny arachnids are even tougher than scientists previously thought.
Integrating robotics into wildlife conservation: enhancing predator deterrents through innovative movement strategies
The coexistence of wildlife and agricultural practices has long posed challenges for wildlife conservation, especially when conflicts arise.
'Hamilton' director Thomas Kail to helm live-action 'Moana'
Tony-winning "Hamilton" director Thomas Kail is set to direct the live-action remake of the beloved animated movie "Moana."
Coral reefs host millions of bacteria, revealing Earth’s hidden biodiversity
Coral reefs are hot spots for more than fish. Fish and corals in reefs across the Pacific Ocean may harbor nearly 3 million varieties of bacteria, researchers report June 1 in Nature Communications....
A not-so-selfish 'genetic parasite' helps to preserve fertility
Ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequences are essential parts of many species' genomes. The highly repetitive nature of these DNA sequences makes them susceptible to shrinkage over time—and if they shrink too...
Researchers cultivate archaea that break down crude oil in novel ways
The seafloor is home to around one-third of all the microorganisms on the Earth and is inhabited even at a depth of several kilometers. Only when it becomes too hot...
Machine Learning-Based Protein Annotation Tool Predicts Protein Function
Microbes drive key processes of life on Earth. Research constantly expands the database of microbial DNA sequences but does not provide full biological information about proteins. To engineer microbes, scientists...
Ticks prove resilient to extreme temperatures
Tick season is here, along with the increased danger of Lyme disease, and it turns out the tiny arachnids are even tougher than scientists previously thought.
Are Sperm Counts Really Declining?
Some studies have found marked drops in sperm count, whereas others have not, and it’s surprisingly hard to measure
Study examines how DNA damage is repaired by antioxidant enzymes
A typical human cell is metabolically active, roaring with chemical reactions that convert nutrients into energy and useful products that sustain life. These reactions also create reactive oxygen species, dangerous...
'How do we know what we don't know?': Scientists completely define the process of methylation
UNSW Sydney researchers, for the first time, have completely defined the essential cellular process known as methylation. In a paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,...
Revealing the secrets of freshwater streams
Beneath the surface of a freshwater stream, animals, plants, fungi, and microorganisms create complex patterns of biodiversity. Brooke Penaluna, research fisheries biologist at the USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research...
Study leads to milestone advances in understanding lethal bronzing of palm trees
Palm trees infected with lethal bronzing disease emit signals that warn nearby healthy palms of the threat. Those healthy palms produce their own defense that University of Florida scientists one...
Plants can distinguish when touch starts and stops
Even without nerves, plants can sense when something touches them and when it lets go, a Washington State University-led study has found.
Computational biologist Tal Einav joins LJI faculty
La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) is pleased to welcome biophysicist and immune system researcher Tal Einav, Ph.D., to the Institute's faculty. His laboratory at LJI will develop new tools...
Research is the first to unlock the secret of microbial slime
The slimy outer layer of fungi and bacteria known as the "extracellular matrix," or ECM, has the consistency of jelly and acts as a protective and envelope layer. But, according...
As water levels drop, the risk of arsenic rises
When John Mestas' ancestors moved to Colorado over 100 years ago to raise sheep in the San Luis Valley, they "hit paradise," he said.
How a mysterious protein plays a crucial role in plant growth
It's springtime on campus, which means that flowers and plants of all kinds are bursting to life, growing and blooming.
Crossing the ring: New method enables C-H activation across saturated carbocycles
A new "molecular editing" technique from Scripps Research enables chemists to add new elements to organic molecules at locations that were previously out of reach.
Study identifies pro-viral human protein critical for embryo development
A new study led by scientists at Uppsala University and INRAE/Université Paris-Saclay has discovered that the pro-viral host protein ZC3H11A plays a critical role in maintaining embryo viability during early...
Overfishing linked to rapid evolution of codfish
The overfishing of codfish spanning the second half of the 20th century indicates that human action can force evolutionary changes more quickly than widely believed, according to a Rutgers-led study.