Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Researchers develop new cytosine base editors with high specificity and precision
Base editors, which enable production of highly efficient targeted point mutations in genomic DNA without causing double-stranded DNA breaks, hold great promise for gene therapy in human disease and trait...
Not just light: The sensitivity of photoreceptors to mechanical stimuli is unveiled
Thanks to optical tweezers, a new study reveals unexpected properties of the neurons responsible for the transduction of light signals. The research has been published in PLOS Biology.
Lake Titicaca giant frog: Scientists join forces to save species
International scientific institutions are teaming up to save the world's largest aquatic amphibian.
Life in the pits: Scientists identify key enzyme behind body odor
Researchers have discovered a unique ''BO enzyme'' responsible for armpit odor.
How the zebrafish got its stripes
Animal patterns are a source of endless fascination, and now researchers have worked out how zebrafish develop their stripes.
Brain cell types identified that may push males to fight and have sex
Two groups of nerve cells may serve as ''on-off switches'' for male mating and aggression, suggests a new study in rodents. These neurons appear to send signals between two parts...
Developing a new strategy to selectively deliver therapies to the brain
The Innovation Center of NanoMedicine in Japan announced that a new strategy to specifically target to the brain was discovered in collaboration with the Department of Bioengineering, Graduate School of...
European and American maize: Same same, but different
German researchers decoded the European maize genome. In comparison to North American maize lines, they discovered variations that underlie phenotypic differences and may also contribute to the heterosis effect. A...
RNA biology provides the key to cell identity and health
Two papers in Genome Research by the FANTOM Consortium have provided new insights into the core regulatory networks governing cell types in different vertebrate species, and the role of RNA...
'The Witcher: Blood Origin' series in the works at Netflix
"The Witcher: Blood Origin," a new live-action series set in "The Witcher" universe, is in development at Netflix.
Development of a 3-D titanium-based structure to improve bone implants
A research team from the University of Malaga, the Andalusian Centre for Nanomedicine and Biotechnology-BIONAND, the Canary Islands Technological Institute, the company Osteobionix, and the CIBER (Networking Centre for Biomedical...
S-glutathionylation of human-inducible Hsp70 reveals regulatory mechanism involving C-terminal α-helical lid
Heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) proteins are a family of ancient and conserved molecular chaperones. They play an essential role in maintaining protein homeostasis, including facilitating protein folding and degradation,...
Kangaroo captured two months after Norwegian zoo escape
A loose kangaroo was captured by veterinarians more than two months after it escaped from a zoo on a Norwegian island.
New genome mapper is like 'upgrading from dial-up to fibre-optic'
Researchers from Harvard University, the Centro Nacional de Análisis Genómico (CNAG) and the Center for Genomic Regulation (CRG) have described the first technology able to visualize hundreds to potentially thousands...
Single cells have their own defenses against pathogens
In the fight against pathogens, most researchers have focused on the diverse immune system arsenal that protects people against infection. However, the lab of Yale microbiologist Jorge Galan explored an evolutionarily ancient...
Video: Single cells have their own defenses against pathogens
In the fight against pathogens, most researchers have focused on the diverse immune system arsenal that protects people against infection. However, the lab of Yale microbiologist Jorge Galan explored an...
Team develops computational method to explore evolution's influence on preterm birth
Human pregnancy can easily be taken for granted as a natural and regularly occurring event, but it is the product of the complex, coordinated function of two bodies, mother and...
Cycad plants provide an important 'ecosystem service'
A study published in the June 2020 edition of the peer-reviewed journal Horticulturae shows that cycads, which are in decline and among the world's most threatened group of plants, provide...
Scientists identify enzyme responsible for body odor
New research suggests a unique group of bacteria evolved a specialized enzyme that produces the molecules responsible for body odor's recognizable stench.
Video: Slowing deforestation is the key to preventing the next pandemic – but what does that cost?
In a recent journal article, a team of biologists, medical scientists, environmental scientists and conservationists proposed a number of measures to reduce the likelihood of future pandemics, many of which...
Studying interactions between ground-nesting bees and soils
Many living creatures live in soil. Though their sizes range from microscopic soil microbes to larger animals like gopher turtles, they all call soil their "home." Included in these ground-dwelling...
Scientists publish seminal study into impact of nanoparticles on living species
An international team of scientists has completed the first ever study into the potential impact of naturally occurring and man-made nanoparticles on the health of all types of the major...
How a scientific spat over how to name species turned into a big plus for nature
Taxonomy, or the naming of species, is the foundation of modern biology. It might sound like a fairly straightforward exercise, but in fact it's complicated and often controversial.
Researchers quantify, characterize and identify functions of collagen, its subtypes
Found in cartilage, bones, blood vessels, skin, and other connective tissues, collagens are the most abundant proteins by weight in the human body. In an article published recently in Nature...
Designer nanozymes for reactive-oxygen species scavenging anti-inflammatory therapy
In a recent report, Yufeng Liu and a team of interdisciplinary researchers in China developed an integrated nanozyme cascade to eliminate excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS; oxygen free radicals). The...
TV personality Regis Philbin dead at 88
Longtime television host Regis Philbin died Friday of natural causes, family members said. He was 88.
Butterflies wing their way into the garden with the proper room and board
Fragile, beautiful, and fascinating, butterflies flutter their way into our gardens and seem to just as quickly wing their way out.
Redefining life expectancy and maximum lifespan for wildlife management
A new study has developed a method to determine the life expectancy and maximum lifespan of wild animal populations.