Latest science news in Biology & Nature
New study shows how plants regulate their growth-inhibiting hormones to survive
Scientists have, for the first time, observed one of the natural mechanisms underlying the regulation of the levels of growth inhibiting hormone in plants. This mechanism had been hitherto seen...
Coumarin compounds from oak barrels could contribute to bitter taste in wine and spirits
Wine and spirits are complex mixtures of flavor and aroma compounds, some of which arise during aging in wooden barrels. Among other compounds, oak wood releases coumarins, but how they...
Mystery about cause of genetic disease in horses
Warmblood fragile foal syndrome is a severe, usually fatal, genetic disease that manifests itself after birth in affected horses. Due to the defect, the connective tissue is unstable. Under force,...
Scientists uncover key process in the manufacture of ribosomes and proteins
Researchers at the University of Toronto have shown that an enzyme called RNA polymerase (Pol) II drives generation of the building blocks of ribosomes, the molecular machines that manufacture all...
Bacteria with a metal diet discovered in dirty glassware
Caltech microbiologists have discovered bacteria that feed on manganese and use the metal as their source of calories. Such microbes were predicted to exist over a century ago, but none...
Wolf culls will not save endangered caribou in Western Canada, new study finds
A government-sponsored wolf kill in Western Canada has had "no detectable effect" on reversing the decline of endangered caribou populations, a study says.
Molecular 'tails' are secret ingredient for gene activation
It might seem as though humans have little in common with the lowly yeast cell. Humans have hair, skin, muscles, and bones, among other attributes. Yeast have, well, none of...
Molecular 'tails' are secret ingredient for gene activation in humans, yeast, and other organisms
It might seem as though humans have little in common with the lowly yeast cell. Humans have hair, skin, muscles, and bones, among other attributes. Yeast have, well, none of...
Ideal method for rapid disease testing
In the pandemic age of telehealth and new technologies, remote site lab or point-of-care (POC) testing of biofluids is a potentially rapid and non-invasive way to test for most diseases—including...
Molecular “Tails” Are Secret Ingredient for Gene Activation in Humans, Yeast, and Other Organisms
It might seem as though humans have little in common with the lowly yeast cell. Humans have hair, skin, muscles, and bones, among other attributes. Yeast have, well, none of...
Tracking quokkas through fires
Dubbed the world's "happiest animal," there's still a lot we don't know about quokkas that is needed to secure the survival of the species. This is especially true for how...
California fails to protect Latino workers as coronavirus ravages communities of color
Experts say the failure to protect Latino essential workers has contributed to California's mid-summer spike of the coronavirus.
California fails to protect Latino workers as coronavirus ravages communities of color
Experts say the failure to protect Latino essential workers has contributed to California's mid-summer spike of the coronavirus.
New study shows how plants regulate their growth-inhibiting hormones to survive
In a world with a consistently growing population and a climate crisis, food shortage is a looming threat. To alleviate this threat, crop scientists, botanists, genetic engineers, and others, have...
Goodall: 'Great hope' chimpanzees can avoid extinction
Wild chimpanzees are under threat from deforestation and the bushmeat trade.
Invasive alien species may soon cause dramatic global biodiversity loss
An increase of 20 to 30 per cent of invasive non-native (alien) species would lead to dramatic future biodiversity loss worldwide. This is the conclusion of a study by an...
True colors: Scientists discuss evolution of white coloration of velvet ants
Driving across the arid American Southwest, one views miles upon miles of scrubby creosote bushes. Well-adapted to the hot, thirsty landscape, the evergreen shrub, also known as greasewood, chaparral and...
Rhenium add-on tracks gold's moves in cancer cell cultures
Fluorescent labels hint at why potential gold antitumor compounds behave differently around different cancer cell types
Disparities in life expectancy found at census-tract level
Life expectancy in the U.S. varies widely when analyzed at the census-tract level, and the method may provide a more detailed picture of health disparities in the U.S. than other widely used analyses...
What determines a warbler's colors?
A new study has narrowed down the region of the genome that drives the black color in throat and face of warblers by studying the hybrid offspring produced when two...
Converting female mosquitoes to non-biting males with implications for mosquito control
Virginia Tech researchers have proven that a single gene can convert female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes into fertile male mosquitoes and identified a gene needed for male mosquito flight.
Ancient oyster shells provide historical insights
An interdisciplinary team of scientists studying thousands of oyster shells along the Georgia coast, some as old as 4,500 years, has published new insights into how Native Americans sustained oyster...
Scientists achieve first complete assembly of human X chromosome
Although the current human reference genome is the most accurate and complete vertebrate genome ever produced, there are still gaps in the DNA sequence, even after two decades of improvements....
A biologist and a historian are looking for art to trace fruit and vegetable evolution
Plant geneticists seeking to understand the history of the plants we eat can decode the genomes of ancient crops from rare, well-preserved samples. However, this approach leaves significant gaps in...
How California went from a rapid reopening to a second closing in one month
Two months ago, California looked like a coronavirus success story. Now cases and hospitalizations are up and the state is rolling back its reopening.
What determines a warbler's colors?
A new study has narrowed down the region of the genome that drives the black color in throat and face of warblers by studying the hybrid offspring produced when two...
Converting female mosquitoes to non-biting males with implications for mosquito control
Researchers have proven that a single gene can convert female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes into fertile male mosquitoes and identified a gene needed for male mosquito flight.
Watch: Honey leaking through walls alerts Pennsylvania couple to bee infestation
A Pennsylvania family who found a mysterious sticky substance dripping from their walls discovered the thick liquid was honey and their walls were full of bees.