Latest science news in Biology & Nature
BBC Inside Science
Inside Science heads to the One Ocean Science Congress in Nice, France.
Work begins to create artificial human DNA from scratch
Scientists start a controversial project to create the building blocks of human life, in what is thought to be a world first.
17 rehabilitated sea turtles released off Cape Cod
Amidst an excited crowd, 17 endangered and threatened sea turtles were released into the refreshing waters off Cape Cod earlier this month. Nine Kemp’s ridleys, five loggerheads, and three green sea turtles were...
Wild orcas will sometimes offer food to humans
Orcas (Orcinus orca) don’t appear to be big fans of yachts, but some of them may be curious about humans themselves. According to a study published on June 30 in the Journal...
Orcas use kelp tools to groom and bond off B.C.'s coast, study suggests
Southern resident killer whales are using kelp for what scientists suspect are both hygienic and social purposes.
N.B. Museum set to add 1st rare owl specimen found in the province in over 100 years
A great grey owl that was previously in the care of the Atlantic Wildlife Institute will be joining the New Brunswick Museum as a scientific specimen. The museum's Greg Jongsma...
Islanders are being asked to help track the rare smooth greensnake this summer
If you spot a smooth greensnake in the wild on Prince Edward Island, the province’s Forests, Fish and Wildlife division wants to hear from you. Officials are hoping to gather...
Orcas might be trying to learn 'who we are' when they share prey with humans, study suggests
The rare and awe-inspiring gestures were documented off the coasts of B.C., California, New Zealand and Norway. Researchers say their new study is the first documentation of these kinds of...
Extreme heat linked to increased pet dog deaths
A joint team led by researchers from the University of New South Wales has revealed the alarming impact of heat waves on pet dogs.
Biologists warn against new alien fish in Laguna de Bay
A striking, silver-colored fish commonly kept as an aquarium pet has been hiding in plain sight in the Philippines' largest freshwater lake, renewing concerns over the unmonitored and unmitigated release...
7000-year-old fossilized reefs reveal how human fishing reshaped Caribbean food webs
A study of 7000-year-old exposed coral reef fossils reveals how human fishing has transformed Caribbean reef food webs: as sharks declined by 75% and fish preferred by humans became smaller,...
Polymer-protected DNA sensors enable two-month storage for 50-cent disease diagnostics
Using an inexpensive electrode coated with DNA, MIT researchers have designed disposable diagnostics that could be adapted to detect a variety of diseases, including cancer or infectious diseases such as...
New 'gene gun' design boosts efficiency of plant genetic modification
Plant scientists have used a standard "gene gun" since 1988 to genetically modify crops for better yield, nutrition, pest resistance and other valuable traits.
Built-in protein sensors allow noninvasive tracking of molecular assemblies in living cells
Cornell researchers have found a new and potentially more accurate way to see what proteins are doing inside living cells—using the cells' own components as built-in sensors.
Being an adult moth is no picnic, research finds
Age is just a number, or is it? A new study by UTEP researchers shows that adult moths are more vulnerable to attack than when they are young.
Novel cross-linker streamlines protein complex analysis in living cells
Proteins have specific biological functions in cells through conformational changes and interactions. Therefore, precise, in situ analysis of protein complex changes is essential for understanding cellular functions, uncovering disease mechanisms,...
How sugar serves as a hidden thermostat in plants
For a decade, scientists have believed that plants sense temperature mainly through specialized proteins, and mainly at night when the air is cool. New research suggests that during the day,...
Structural differences in Nasonia wasps linked to evolution, behavior and disease
What can a tiny wasp with a rather gruesome parasitic life cycle teach us about evolution, behavior and human developmental diseases? In a new paper, researchers led by István Mikó...
Gray whales are dying off the Pacific Coast again, and scientists aren't sure why
Gray whales are dying in large numbers, again.
Mystery deepens as another dead whale washes ashore in Southern California
A 50-foot gray whale washed ashore in Huntington Beach on Friday. Nonprofit workers say the young adult female showed no signs of physical injury.
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.
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.
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?
Called to the threshold, a death doula learns from the dying
Transitions and transformations can be fraught, even torturous. As a death doula, a big part of the work is sitting in that liminal space.
Inside Nike's all-women half-marathon in L.A.: the good, the bad and the surprising
From long lines to a delayed start time and a finale concert with Doechii, here's everything that happened at the Nike After Dark tour at SoFi Stadium.