Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Dr. Tam gives COVID-19 update
Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's chief public health officer, holds a news conference to provide an update on the coronavirus disease.
New subspecies of the rarest Palaearctic butterfly found in the Arctic Circle of Yakutia
An isolated population of the rarest Palaearctic butterfly species: the Arctic Apollo (Parnassius arcticus), turned out to be a new to science subspecies with distinct looks as well as DNA....
Scientists find clues to queen bee failure
Scientists at UBC are unraveling the mysteries behind a persistent problem in commercial beekeeping that is one of the leading causes of colony mortality—queen bee failure.
Cashing in on marine byproducts
As exploitation of wild fisheries and marine environments threaten food supplies, Flinders University scientists are finding sustainable new ways to convert biowaste, algal biomass and even beached seaweed into valuable...
Sterilised insects could help control mosquito-borne diseases
Aggressive tiger mosquitoes capable of spreading debilitating tropical diseases such as dengue and Zika are spreading through Europe, but scientists hope it may be possible to control these biting pests...
Gene-edited embryos should not be implanted for pregnancy, international commission says
More research is needed to ensure the safety of heritable genome changes
Massively parallel sequencing unlocks cryptic diversity of eye parasites in fish
Researchers at the Estonian University of Life Sciences and Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, in collaboration with Finnish scientists, developed a methodology that uses next-generation sequencing technology for fast and...
Trees living fast die young
A global analysis reveals for the first time that across almost all tree species, fast growing trees have shorter lifespans. This international study further calls into question predictions that greater...
New insights into evolution of gene expression
Vertebrate organs organize physiological activities, and the diverse expression patterns of thousands of genes determines organ identities and functions. Because of this, the evolution of gene expression patterns plays a...
How mutations in DNA packaging machines cause cancer
Like wrenches made of Legos, SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complexes tighten or loosen DNA in our cells to control how genes are turned on and made into proteins. When assembled correctly,...
Inheritance in plants can now be controlled specifically
A new application of the CRISPR/Cas molecular scissors promises progress in crop cultivation. Researchers have succeeded in modifying the sequence of genes on a chromosome using CRISPR/Cas. For the first...
Protected areas can 'double' imperilled species populations
Many endangered mammal species are dependent on protected areas, and would likely vanish without them. Despite the success of protected areas, their popularity as a go-to conservation tool has started...
Mountain Peaks Seem to Shape Personality Traits in the American West
Topography may contribute to the formation of regional temperament -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
Sea butterflies’ shells determine how the snails swim
Sea butterflies flit through the ocean on gossamer wings, each species with a style of its own. These tiny marine snails, or thecosomes, migrate up to surface waters at night to feed...
New insights into evolution of gene expression
The long-term expression of genes in vertebrate organs predisposes these genes to be subsequently utilized in other organs during evolution.
Gen Z not ready to eat lab-grown meat
New research found that, despite having a great concern for the environment and animal welfare, 72 percent of Generation Z were not ready to accept cultured meat - defined in...
Real-time imaging shows how SARS-CoV-2 attacks human cells
"What we're doing here is actually visualizing binding of the spike to ACE 2 [angiotensin converting enzyme 2]," says Kirill Gorshkov a research scientist at the National Center for Advancing...
How we sleep today may forecast when Alzheimer’s disease begins
What would you do if you knew how long you had until Alzheimer’s disease set in? Don’t despair. New UC Berkeley research suggests one defense against this virulent form of...
Adult Swim's 'The Venture Bros.' canceled after seven seasons
Adult Swim has canceled animated action-comedy series "The Venture Bros." after seven seasons
Seaweed, slime and socks: The science behind the suds
The novel phosphodiesterase enzyme, discovered by a team from Newcastle University, UK, is used by bacteria to unstick themselves from seaweed. The bacteria release an enzyme which breaks down the...
The birth of a male sex chromosome in Atlantic herring
The evolution of sex chromosomes is of crucial importance in biology as it stabilizes the mechanism underlying sex determination and usually results in an equal sex ratio. An international team...
Okay, new idea: 'Oumuamua is an interstellar 'dust bunny'
Explaining the concept of a dust bunny to small children can be quite amusing. No, it's not actually alive. It's moving around because of really small currents of wind that...
Compassionate conservation: Just because we love invasive animals doesn't mean we should protect them
On an island off the Queensland coast, a battle is brewing over the fate of a small population of goats.
Australian flying foxes 'among Earth's most mobile mammals'
Australian species roam over massive distances and help the land recover from fire, research finds.
Predatory pine martens boosting red squirrel numbers
Pine martens prefer feasting on grey squirrels, which is helping to save reds, say conservationists.
'Mighty mice' stay musclebound in space, boon for astronauts
Bulked-up, mutant "mighty mice" held onto their muscle during a monthlong stay at the International Space Station, returning to Earth with ripped bodybuilder physiques, scientists reported Monday.
A new twist on DNA origami
A team of scientists has just announced the creation of a new type of meta-DNA structures that will open up the fields of optoelectronics (including information storage and encryption) as...
'Wild West' mentality lingers in modern populations of US mountain regions
Scientists looked at links between the personality profiles of over 3.3m US residents and the 'topography' of 37,227 ZIP codes. Distinct psychological mix associated with mountain populations is consistent with...