Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Structural biology reveals new target to neutralize COVID-19
An international team of researchers have discovered a new and highly conserved site on the SARS-CoV-2 virus that can be neutralized by a specific antibody. Previous studies have reported that...
How the environment and the microbiome jointly shape the body
All multicellular living beings are colonized by an unimaginably large number of microorganisms and have developed together with them from the very beginning of multicellular life. The natural microbiome, i.e. the totality of...
Japanese sake: the new pick-me-up? Yeast strain makes fatigue-fighting ornithine
Researchers have found that that a mutant strain of sake yeast produces high levels of the amino acid ornithine. Ornithine has been found to reduce fatigue and improve sleep quality,...
Watch: Mo Willems' family special coming to HBO Max on Sept. 17
Bestselling children's book author and illustrator Mo Willems will release his first ever live-action special on HBO Max on Sept. 17.
Binding sites for protein-making machinery
Researchers can predict how tightly a cell's protein synthesis machinery will bind to RNA sequences - even when dealing with many billions of different RNA sequences. This binding plays a...
South African wildlife management/conservation models do not protect carnivores equally
In results released this week, an international team of wildlife ecologists reports that the trend toward more reliance on private game farms and reserves to manage and conserve free-ranging carnivores...
Study reveals DNA 'grammar'
DNA three-dimensional structure is determined by a series of spatial rules based on particular protein sequences and their order. This was the finding of a study recently published in Genome...
Genetic link between cattle temperament and autism
A strong association between the genes influencing cattle temperament and autism in humans has been discovered by University of Queensland researchers.
Decoded: The structure of the barrier between three cells
Organs in animals and in humans have one thing in common: they are bounded by so-called epithelial cells. These, along with the muscle, connective and nervous tissues, belong to the...
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Blake Lively join 'The Making Of' romantic comedy
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Blake Lively, Richard Gere and Diane Keaton will star in "The Making Of," a new film directed by Ed Zwick.
Regulating gene regulatory regions offers a novel mechanism to control ATXN1 levels
People with a rare genetic neurodegenerative disease known as spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) usually have progressive problems with movement, including loss of coordination, and balance (ataxia) and muscle weakness....
Watch: Anya Taylor-Joy plays chess prodigy in 'The Queen's Gambit' teaser
"The Queen's Gambit," a new miniseries about a chess prodigy struggling with addiction, will premiere Oct. 23 on Netflix.
Call of the wild: Individual dolphin calls used to estimate population size and movement
A new study has shown for the first time that acoustic monitoring can be used in place of photographs to generate abundance estimates of dolphin populations.
Reduce insecticide spraying by using ant pheromones to catch crop pests
Scientists have developed a molecular sponge that soaks up the pheromones of ants and releases them slowly to attract the pests to an insecticide trap.
How a 19-year-old lion fathered 35 cubs in 18 months
Lion tamer at work. Though no evidence is available, the mustachioed man is unlikely to have survived this scene. (Library of Congress, 1873/)Popular Science’s WILD LIVES is a monthly video series that dives...
Research illuminates new element of plant immune defense response to biotic stress
Plants are at the mercy of many stresses, both abiotic, such as drought and heat, and biotic, such as pathogens. Researchers know that the plant immune system often responds to...
Antarctic fossil suggests animals have been hibernating for 250 million years
The discovery of a hibernation-like state in an Early Triassic species suggests animals may have been using torpor to avoid the challenges of winter for at least 250 million years.
Need a mood lift? We've tracked 4 ways Australia's environment has repaired itself in 2020
When the clock ticked over to 2020, Australia was in the grip of a brutal drought and unprecedented bushfires. But in the months since, while many of us were indoors...
When good intentions aren't enough: Where New Zealand's border quarantine system really went wrong
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has shown a remarkable grasp of fine detail and an ability to communicate it under pressure. But short of monitoring every flight, border interaction and hotel...
Watch: Marvel heroes, villains join 'Fortnite' Season 4 for 'Nexus War'
A number of Marvel heroes and villains are joining "Fortnite."
Rapid evolution under climate change
Certain plant species can evolve very quickly under drought conditions. This means that the modified plant traits are genetically fixed and passed on to the next generation. A research team...
Japanese sake: The new pick-me-up? Yeast strain makes fatigue-fighting amino acid
Fans of sake, the traditional Japanese alcoholic beverage, may have even more reason to enjoy it now: Japanese scientists have discovered that a mutant strain of sake yeast produces high...
Engineers use heat-free technology to make metallic replicas of a rose's surface texture
Nature has worked for eons to perfect surface textures that protect, hide and otherwise help all kinds of creatures survive.
Plant scientists study the interaction of heat stress responses in corn
Environmental extremes driven by climate change create stresses in crops, and plant breeders are attempting to untangle the genetic factors that endow plants with tolerance to stress. A new study...
Netflix cancels 'Altered Carbon' after two seasons
Netflix has canceled sci-fi series "Altered Carbon" after two seasons and an anime film.
Shedding light on rapid emergence of new species
New international research led by Monash University scientists has changed our understanding of the evolutionary processes that can lead to the rapid emergence of new species.
Binding sites for protein-making machinery
ETH Zurich researchers can predict how tightly a cell's protein synthesis machinery will bind to RNA sequences—even when dealing with many billions of different RNA sequences. This binding plays a...
U.S. navy exercises will put further pressure on West Coast's endangered killer whales, experts say
Conservationists say the endangered southern resident killer whales will be further affected if the navy is allowed to fire torpedoes, deploy sonar and detonate bombs at sea.