Latest science news in Biology & Nature
A reader asks about coronavirus mutations
Viral heritage Lab experiments are needed to see if mutations in the new coronavirus change how the virus infects cells, Erin Garcia de Jesus reported in “The new coronavirus is mutating” (SN: 6/20/20,...
Cheese: New insights into an age-old food
The most detailed study to date of the microbes in cheese was published today in Nature Food by a team of researchers at Teagasc and APC Microbiome Ireland SFI Research...
A three-decade 'moving picture' of young Australians' study, work, and life
The Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) unpack the lives of young Australians as they leave school, enter further study or the workforce and make the transition into adulthood.
Exponential scaling of frictional forces in cells
AMOLF researchers have presented a theory that describes the friction between biological filaments that are crosslinked by proteins. Surprisingly, their theory predicts that the friction force scales highly nonlinearly with...
Drones driving community conservation of the sea cow
Dr. Christophe Cleguer is on a mission to save the dugong. In doing so, he's saving a critical habitat for a host of other marine species.
Watching changes in plant metabolism—live
Researchers at Münster University with the participation of the University of Bonn are studying key mechanisms in the regulation of energy metabolism in plants and, using a new method of...
22 Australian freshwater fish on path to extinction
Twenty-two native freshwater fish have been identified as likely to become extinct within the next twenty years, unless there is new conservation action, according to new research.
Lethal bacterial disease found in bighorn sheep herd in B.C.'s South Okanagan
A B.C. conservation group is worried about a herd of California bighorn sheep after a lethal bacterial disease was identified in two lambs in the South Okanagan.
Light Pollution from Coastal Cities Reaches Seafloor
The artificial night sky brightness could harm creatures that dwell in the ocean depths -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
Team discovers a new role for a well-known molecule as a plant hormone
Researchers at the University of Maryland (UMD) have discovered an entirely new role for a well-known plant molecule called ACC, providing the first clear example of ACC acting on its own as...
Robots go their own way deep in the ocean
Firms are building robots that can survey the seabed and underwater structures without human help.
Genetics part of reason stroke a bigger threat to Black people
Stroke is more deadly among Black people than Whites, and the reason may come down to genetics.
'Back to school, but doing it in a safe way': 2 Sask. First Nations detail plans for fall
Back to school will be anything but status quo on two Saskatchewan First Nations, where community members have come together to form unique guidelines.
Fruit's metallic blue caused by lipid nanostructures
Berries could use the color to advertise their nutritional benefits to birds
Bacterial enzymes 'hijacked' to create complex molecules normally made by plants
Chemists at Scripps Research have efficiently created three families of complex, oxygen-containing molecules that are normally obtainable only from plants.
Single-cell analysis provides new insights into mitochondrial diseases
Investigators have made discoveries at the single cell level to uncover new details concerning mitochondrial diseases -- inherited disorders that interfere with energy production in the body and currently have...
To understand the machinery of life, this scientist breaks it on purpose
By tinkering with some of life's oldest components, astrobiologists hope to find clues about how life emerged. In a recent article researchers report an unexpected discovery, hinting at an effect...
How a protein stops cells from attacking their own DNA
Viruses multiply by injecting their DNA into a host cell. Once it enters the intracellular fluid, this foreign material triggers a defense mechanism known as the cGAS-STING pathway. The protein...
Oprah Winfrey joins HBO special 'Between the World and Me'
Oprah Winfrey will appear in an adaptation of Ta-Nehisi Coates' book on being Black in the United States, "Between the World and Me," HBO said Thursday.
Researchers assemble first comprehensive list of Panama's trees with geographic ranges
Central America is one of the most diverse floristic regions in the world, but a lack of comprehensive plant records and knowledge of its endangered, endemic tree species impedes conservation...
Research gets to the heart of organ shape in nature
Researchers have shed fresh light on the evolution and function of the shapes we see in nature - using as a model the heart shaped fruits of the Capsella genus.
'Critical' questions over disease risks from ocean plastics
Key knowledge gaps exist in our understanding of how ocean microplastics transport bacteria and viruses -- and whether this affects the health of humans and animals, researchers say.
New type of taste cell discovered in taste buds
Our mouths may be home to a newly discovered set of multi-tasking taste cells that -- unlike most known taste cells, which detect individual tastes -- are capable of detecting...
New tools catch and release molecules at the flip of a light switch
A team has developed a class of light-switchable, highly adaptable molecular tools with new capabilities to control cellular activities. The antibody-like proteins, called OptoBinders, have potential applications including protein purification,...
World's oldest captive alligator marks 83 years in Belgrade zoo
Muja has lived through multiple bombing campaigns and several countries—all while never leaving a tiny pool in Belgrade's zoo for 83 years, making him the world's oldest captive alligator.
Flavonoids' presence in sorghum roots may lead to frost-resistant crop
Flavonoid compounds -- produced by the roots of some sorghum plants -- positively affect soil microorganisms, according to researchers, who suggest the discovery is an early step in developing a...
Snowshoe hare carcasses feed more then the usual suspects
What do lynx, flying squirrels, ravens, and wolverines have in common? They will all scavenge from snowshoe hare carcasses under the right conditions, according to ecologists. And they're not alone....
Mitochondrial dynamics in postmitotic cells regulate neurogenesis
The conversion of neural stem cells into neurons is associated with the remodeling of organelles, but whether and how this is causally linked to fate change is poorly understood. We...