Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Majority of fruit fly immunity studies can be replicated, huge analysis finds
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Paleontologist to lead U.S. national academy
Neil Shubin, an evolutionary biologist best known for discovering an important fish fossil, has been nominated to head the U.S. National Academy of Sciences (NAS). He will take over next year with the...
Molecular fossils offer first glimpse of how life survived Snowball Earth
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A mushroom that escaped from kitchens could be harming North American wildlife
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How a string of deadly shark attacks made a remote island a hub of lifesaving research
Related podcast Studying a shark-haunted island, and upgrading our microbiomes with engineered bacteria ...
A taste for microbes
Science & Tech A taste for microbes A video of a brooding octopus mother interacting with a fake egg that was doped with a microbial molecule isolated from rejected octopus egg bacteria....
Stealing a ‘superpower’
Corey Allard in his lab at Harvard Medical School.Niles Singer/Harvard Staff Photographer Science & Tech Stealing a ‘superpower’ Study finds some sea slugs consume algae, incorporate photosynthetic parts into their own bodies to...
Forecasting the next variant
Health Forecasting the next variant Professor Eugene Shakhnovich (from left), Dianzhuo (John) Wang, and Vaibhav Mohanty worked together on the studies.Veasey Conway/Harvard Staff Photographer Yahya Chaudhry Harvard Correspondent July 3, 2025 5 min read Harvard...
For biologists studying tiny worms, new technologies make big improvements
Two new technologies are helping scientists understand new aspects of organ and nervous system development in C. elegans. One allows them to image worms developing in a natural environment, while...
New study resolves the structure of the human protein that causes cystic fibrosis
In order to better understand how genetic mutations give rise to cystic fibrosis, researchers need to map the protein responsible for the disorder. The new structure has led to new...
For microbes fighting viruses, a fast response means a better defense
Researchers have found that the bacterial immune system targets an invading virus as soon as it enters the cell. This discovery answers a long-standing question about how microbes defend themselves....
Study identifies “night owl” gene variant
Scientists have discovered a common mutation that might explain why some people have trouble going to sleep at night and getting up early. The gene alteration slows the internal biological...
Scientists discover how crucial DNA sequences endure
The centromere region of chromosomes retains the same DNA from one generation to the next. Scientists have gained new insights into how it avoids being scrambled in normal cells, and...
Researchers track fish migration by testing DNA in seawater
For the first time, researchers have successfully recorded fish migration by conducting DNA tests on water samples. Using this method to estimate the abundance and distribution of fish species could...
Shooting the messenger: how one protein allows germ cells to develop
Researchers have identified a molecule that guides the formation of eggs and sperm by preventing a host of factors related to cell death and inflammation from killing the precursors to...
Scientists engineer human-germ hybrid molecules to attack drug-resistant bacteria
Taking a cue from viruses that infect and kill bacteria, the researchers engineered molecules capable of targeting the bugs in a way the human immune system cannot—an approach that could...
A newly discovered cell helps pythons poop out the bones of their prey
The cells helps the snakes absorb the bones of their prey — and might show up in other animals that chomp their meals whole.
Simulations reveal how sharp boundaries endure in soft tissue
Research could help explain how cells organize into complex living systems
Are salmon sperm facials really good for your skin?
Med spas all over Los Angeles now offer what they call salmon DNA facials. Does the trendy social media-approved treatment actually work?
Mosquitoes are breeding in pools in the Eaton fire area. Officials may not be able to control them much longer
Unmaintained swimming pools where mosquito breeding has occurred will get a first treatment, but there's currently no money for additional treatments, according to vector control officials.
Lethal algae bloom is over, but sickened marine mammals aren't safe yet
It was one of the longest and deadliest ever recorded in Southern California.
Union presses California's key bird flu testing lab for records
The union representing workers at a UC Davis lab key to California's efforts to test and track bird flu infections in livestock has sued the university,
The numbers of gray whales migrating along the California coast continue to plummet
Federal officials are reporting the lowest numbers of gray whales counted since the 1970s. More than 20 have died in S.F. Bay this year.
Measles on the rise in California: More cases so far this year than all of 2024
California has already reported more measles cases this year than in all of 2024, a worrisome development that comes as the nation is suffering its largest outbreak of the super-infectious...
Hardcore birders and casual sparrow spotters: Science needs you
Ornithologists are seeking volunteers in California, Oregon and Washington for Project Phoenix, a multiyear project exploring birds' response to wildfire.
Foreign, feral honeybees are crowding out native bee species in southern California
Non-native, feral honeybees are crowding out native bee species in southern California — and it could have knock-on effects on local plants in need of pollination.
Researchers find a link between gut bacteria and genes in colitis flare-ups
The interaction between a common gene variant and gut microbes may trigger chronic inflammation in ulcerative colitis, new research suggests.
Great white sharks tracked off the Carolina coast
A group of migrating great white sharks are suddenly acting like tourists along the Carolina coast. But apparently there's nothing to fear. Meg Oliver explains.