Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Land-use change disrupts wild plant pollination on a global scale
Human changes to the environment have been linked to widespread pollinator declines. New research shows that intensive land use will further decrease pollination and reproductive success of wild plants, especially...
How maths modelling helps efforts to eradicate banana bunchy top virus
Modelling the predicted movements of pervasive sap-sucking tiny insects before they infest banana crops has the potential to become a key tactic in the fight against a devastating virus, according...
Nanocatalysts that remotely control chemical reactions inside living cells
The enzymes responsible for catalytic reactions in our body's biological reactions are difficult to use for diagnosis or treatment as they react only to certain molecules or have low stability....
Biodiversity may limit invasions: Lessons from lizards on Panama Canal islands
Introduced species can become invasive, damaging ecosystems and disrupting economies through explosive population growth. One mechanism underlying population expansion in invasive populations is 'enemy release', whereby the invader experiences relaxation...
Aquatic robots can remove contaminant particles from water
Scientists have developed a 1cm by 1cm wireless artificial aquatic polyp, which can remove contaminants from water. Apart from cleaning, this soft robot could be also used in medical diagnostic...
Previously undescribed lineage of Archaea illuminates microbial evolution
Scientists describe a previously unknown phylum of aquatic Archaea that are likely dependent on partner organisms for growth while potentially being able to conserve some energy by fermentation.
Crickets disperse seeds of early-diverging orchid Apostasia nipponica, suggesting an ancient association
Associate Professor Suetsugu Kenji (Kobe University Graduate School of Science) has found unusual seed dispersal systems by crickets and camel crickets in Apostasia nipponica (Apostasioideae), acknowledged as an early-diverging...
Multi-species bacterial communities bounce back from environmental disturbances
Scientists from Finland and Germany used bacteria as an example to study how communities consisting of several species respond to disturbances in their laboratory environment. Similar kinds of perturbations can...
Imaging method highlights new role for cellular 'skeleton' protein
While your skeleton helps your body to move, fine skeleton-like filaments within your cells likewise help cellular structures to move. Now, Salk researchers have developed a new imaging method that...
Previously undescribed lineage of Archaea illuminates microbial evolution
In a publication in Nature Communications last Friday, NIOZ scientists Nina Dombrowski and Anja Spang and their collaboration partners describe a previously unknown phylum of aquatic Archaea that are likely...
Nanocatalysts that remotely control chemical reactions inside living cells
The enzymes responsible for catalytic reactions in our body's biological reactions are difficult to use for diagnosis or treatment as they react only to certain molecules or have low stability....
Captive beluga whales released into Iceland sea sanctuary
Two beluga whales from a Shanghai aquarium have returned to the sea in an Icelandic sanctuary, conservationists said Monday, expressing hopes of creating a model for rehoming some 300 belugas...
Researchers discover how genome controls early human development
A team led by scientists from the University of Manchester has discovered how our genome controls the development of many of the organs critical to human life.
Scientists probe the role of archaea in the human microbiome
All multicellular living beings carry an unimaginably large number of microorganisms in and on their bodies. The microbiome, i.e. the totality of these microorganisms, forms a unit together with the host organism, the...
High levels of mercury, plastic toxins found in stranded whales, dolphins
Dolphins and whales stranded on beaches in the southeastern United States had very high levels of mercury and toxins found in plastic, according to a new study published in the...
Deprived of oxygen, layers of bacteria get creative
Bacteria are found living nearly everywhere on our planet, from the inside of human intestines to the soil to deep underwater. When scientists study bacteria in the lab, they most...
A novel strategy for using compounds as 'anti-evolution' drugs to combat antibiotic resistance
The rise of antibiotic resistance in many pathogens has been driven by the spread of a small number of strains, suggesting that some bacteria may be genetically pre-disposed to evolving...
A never-before-seen image of the coronavirus copy machine
Exactly how viruses replicate is a complex puzzle with many missing pieces. And in the age of the pandemic, solving it has become a matter of acute urgency.
How maths modelling helps efforts to eradicate banana bunchy top virus
Banana bunchy top virus (BBTV) is an aphid-transmitted banana disease that has been in Australia since 1913 and has been contained by biosecurity agencies to southeast Queensland and northern New...
Latino workers bear brunt of second wave of COVID-19 in ritzy Marin County
In Marin County, one of the nation's richest, Latinos account for 16% of the population but 75% of coronavirus cases. Many are essential workers.
Creative block of molecular evolution: Adaptive mutations repeat themselves in tiny crustaceans of Lake Baikal
A group of scientists from Skoltech and the Institute for Information Transmission Problems of RAS (IITP RAS) showed, using Lake Baikal amphipods as an example, that parallel evolution driven by...
Scientists introduce Raman-activated cell sorter for high-throughput discovery of enzymes
Enzymes are molecules that catalyze metabolism. Discovering and mining enzymes, such as those producing oils or fixing carbon dioxide, have been a key mission of the biotechnology industry. However,...
Researchers race to protect Nova Scotia's hemlocks from invasive pest
In a shaded, mossy hemlock stand in Kejimkujik National Park, trees span generations — from young hemlocks with spindly trunks to multi-centenarians thicker around than two people can reach. But...
Whale migration: ‘Super rare’ whale encounter on the Great Barrier Reef
A dive instructor has recorded his ‘special moment’ with a humpback whale.
High levels of mercury, plastic toxins found in stranded whales, dolphins
Dolphins and whales stranded on beaches in the southeastern United States had very high levels of mercury and toxins found in plastic, according to a new study published in the...
California is releasing some murderers due to COVID-19. Some say it should free more
California has focused on freeing nonviolent offenders to combat the spread of coronavirus in prisons, but some have committed violent crimes.
Alberta will switch over to federal COVID-19 notification app
Alberta will switch from its provincial COVID-19 notification app to the national app.
Molecular changes in Alzheimer’s begin decades before detectable cognitive impairments
For decades researchers have known that Alzheimer’s disease (AD) causes the atrophy of a system of neurons and synapses highly involved in memory, learning and attention, which is highly dependent...