Latest science news in Biology & Nature
How dietary fiber helps the intestines maintain health
Researchers have discovered how by-products of the digestion of dietary fiber by gut microbes act as the right fuel to help intestinal cells maintain gut health.
Scientists reveal how goldfish make alcohol to survive without oxygen
Scientists at the Universities of Oslo and Liverpool have uncovered the secret behind a goldfish’s remarkable ability to produce alcohol as a way of surviving harsh winters beneath frozen lakes....
Mutant ants provide insights into social interaction
Ants genetically engineered to lack their “sense of smell” became unable to communicate, forage or compete to be a queen, as their antennae and brain circuits failed to fully develop....
New methods for analyzing gene function
Scientists have developed new methods to produce and analyze genetic mosaics. In these mosaics, tissues contain various groups of cells with different known genotypes, permitting study of the differences that...
One step closer to using pig organs in human transplants
Using a gene-editing tool called CRISPR, researchers edited the DNA of pigs, removing potentially harmful viruses from organs
Scientists on research vessel spot rare whales in Bering Sea
U.S. federal researchers studying critically endangered North Pacific right whales sometimes go years without finding their subjects. Over the weekend they got lucky.
Microbe may explain evolutionary origins of DNA folding
In the cells of palm trees, humans, and some single-celled microorganisms, DNA gets bent the same way. Now, by studying the 3-D structure of proteins bound to DNA in microbes...
GM pigs take step to being organ donors
Pigs have been freed of viruses that stop them being viable organ donors.
No longer king of the jungle: New fund to aid Africa's lions
Senegal's Niokolo-Koba National Park is home to fewer than 50 lions after years of poaching decimated not only them but also their prey. Small patches of lion skin are sold...
Novel stem cell-derived model created of inflammatory neurological disorder
An international team of scientists, has created a human stem cell-based model of a rare, but devastating, inherited neurological autoimmune condition called Aicardi-Goutieres Syndrome (AGS). In doing so, the team...
Aging is exacerbated by alterations of stem cell circadian rhythm
Two new studies refute the scientific dogma associating aging with the loss of stem cell circadian rhythm. The studies show that during aging, stem cells continue to show rhythmic activity...
First mutant ants shed light on evolution of social behavior
Scientists disrupted a gene essential for sensing pheromones, resulting in severe deficiencies in the ants' social behaviors and their ability to survive within a colony.
Innovations enhance genetic analysis of individual cells
Single cell genomics technology has given scientists the ability to individually read the genetic blueprints of cells, the most fundamental units of life.
Small molecule inhibitor prevents or impedes tooth cavities in a preclinical model
Researchers have created a small molecule that prevents or impedes tooth cavities in a preclinical model. The inhibitor blocks the function of a key virulence enzyme in an oral bacterium,...
A metabolic pathway that feeds liver cancer
A little-studied gene may explain how some liver cancer cells obtain the nutrition they need to proliferate, according to new research from the University of Maryland. The results of this...
Groups move to ban cyanide traps that kill predator animals
Predator-killing cyanide traps such as one that sickened a boy in Idaho and killed his dog should be banned, environmental groups told the federal government Thursday.
Scientists Find New Way to Map Differences in the Brain
A team from the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and the University of California San Diego has, for the first time, profiled chemical modifications in the DNA of individual neurons,...
White whale Migaloo approaches tour boat off Australia
Australia's famous white humpback whale, Migaloo, gave a group of tourists a rare treat by swimming right up to their boat.
Do You Hear What I Hear? Auditory Hallucinations Yield Clues to Perception
Psychics and psychosis sufferers alike hold beliefs that may predispose them to hearing voices -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
Genomic exploration of the diversity, ecology, and evolution of the archaeal domain of life
About 40 years ago, Archaea were recognized as a major prokaryotic domain of life besides Bacteria. Recently, cultivation-independent sequencing methods have produced a wealth of genomic data for previously unidentified...
Structure of histone-based chromatin in Archaea
Small basic proteins present in most Archaea share a common ancestor with the eukaryotic core histones. We report the crystal structure of an archaeal histone-DNA complex. DNA wraps around an...
A cyclic oligonucleotide signaling pathway in type III CRISPR-Cas systems
Type III CRISPR-Cas systems in prokaryotes provide immunity against invading nucleic acids through the coordinated degradation of transcriptionally active DNA and its transcripts by the Csm effector complex. The Cas10...
Single-cell methylomes identify neuronal subtypes and regulatory elements in mammalian cortex
The mammalian brain contains diverse neuronal types, yet we lack single-cell epigenomic assays that are able to identify and characterize them. DNA methylation is a stable epigenetic mark that distinguishes...
Circular RNA linked to brain function
While hundreds of circular RNAs (circRNAs) are abundant in mammalian brains, one big question has remained unanswered: What are they actually good for? In the current issue of Science, Nikolaus...
Mystery alligator captured in Ontario family's back yard
Authorities in Ontario said an Animal Services officer responded to a Hamilton back yard to capture an unusual creature for the region -- a 5-foot alligator.
Researchers use CRISPR to manipulate social behavior in ants
The gene-editing technology called CRISPR has revolutionized the way that the function of genes is studied. So far, CRISPR has been widely used to precisely modify single-celled organisms and, more...
Non-native snake found slithering in Seattle park
A non-native species of snake caused a scare at a park in Washington after authorities believed it was venomous.
Jordan’s Syrian refugees to get food aid in cash
World Food Programme plans to revise its aid mechanism after field study finds clear preference for cash-based aid.