Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Brain circuit that drives sleep-wake states, sleep-preparation behavior is identified
Stanford University School of Medicine scientists have identified a brain circuit that's indispensable to the sleep-wake cycle. This same circuit is also a key component of the reward system, an...
Giraffes more speciose than expected
Scientists from the Senckenberg and the Giraffe Conservation Foundation have analysed the genetic relationships of all major populations of giraffe in the wild. The large study on the genetic makeup...
Study reveals how ionising radiation damages DNA and causes cancer
For the first time, researchers from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute and their collaborators have been able to identify in human cancers two characteristic patterns of DNA damage caused by...
The proteins that domesticated our genomes
EPFL scientists have carried out a genomic and evolutionary study of a large and enigmatic family of human proteins, to demonstrate that it is responsible for harnessing the millions of...
Condo-Style Living Helps Keep the Peace Inside These Ant Plants
Scientists studying ant plants in Fiji have discovered one way that a host plant can keep the peace among residents that might otherwise kill each other.
Reuben Saunders Wins Hertz Thesis Prize for Mapping Gene Function in Living Tissues
Hertz Fellow Reuben Saunders developed a powerful new CRISPRi-based screening platform to silence genes in millions of cells across living tissues. His award-winning thesis, "Pooled genetic screens with rich readouts...
Meet the 'Weird' Sea Spider That's Mapping the Evolution of Eight-Legged Creatures
UW-Madison researchers and their international colleagues have published the first high-quality genome of a sea spider species, providing a key reference point for the evolutionary traits of many related animals....
From Microbiota to Microgravity: What's Inside The FASEB Journal's Latest Issue
The FASEB Journal's July 2025 issue features new research on gut health, aging, cell signaling, innovative therapies, and how environment and diet shape disease, highlighting breakthroughs across biomedical science.
Cutting to the Core of How 3D Structure Shapes Gene Activity
In biology textbooks and beyond, the human genome and DNA therein typically are taught in only one dimension. While it can be helpful for learners to begin with the linear...
Some Sharks in the North Atlantic May Delay Their Fall Migrations South
A new, published study shows that certain migratory species of sharks may remain swimming and feeding in Atlantic Ocean waters in areas of the northeast coast for longer periods of...
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...
Climate change could separate vanilla plants and their pollinators
The vanilla species grown for its flavoring is finicky. Genes from its wild relatives could help make it hardier — but not if those cousins go extinct.
Scientists 3-D printed a tiny elephant inside a cell
The first structures ever 3-D printed inside living cells point to applications for biology research.
Why these zombie caterpillars can’t stop eating
Sneaky chemistry by a real-life “Last of Us” Cordyceps fungus mind controls its zombie insect victims by convincing them they’re starving.
These 5 nutrients might be lacking in your diet
U.S. diets should include more of vitamins D and E, fiber, calcium and magnesium — all are essential nutrients that could offer health benefits.
Gut microbes may flush ‘forever chemicals’ from the body
Experiments in mice show that some gut bacteria can absorb toxic PFAS chemicals, allowing animals to expel them through feces.
Simulations reveal how sharp boundaries endure in soft tissue
Research could help explain how cells organize into complex living systems
Scientists create safer pig organs with goal of transplants for humans
(Reuters) - Scientists at a Massachusetts company seeking to make pig organs safe enough to be transplanted into humans have used gene-editing technology to clone piglets that lack a potentially...
Elephants gesture to signal what they want—just like us
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Some butterflies adapted to have second ‘heads’ that confuse predators
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Record-setting recovery of ancient protein used to identify extinct rhino relative
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