Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Smaller farm fields can reduce biodiversity loss and increase wild plants, birds, beetles, and bats
Around the world, biodiversity is dropping precipitously. In North America, about three billion birds have been lost over recent decades and amphibian populations are declining at a rate of about...
Scientists discover extraordinary regeneration of neurons
Biologists from the University of Bayreuth have discovered a uniquely rapid form of regeneration in injured neurons and their function in the central nervous system of zebrafish. They studies the...
New research reveals surprising differences between salmon species
It is well known that salmon provides a range of valuable nutrients, including omega-3 fatty acids and protein. But it can be confusing for consumers to know which species offers...
Oscar Isaac, Michelle Williams set for HBO's 'Scenes From a Marriage'
Oscar Isaac and Michelle Williams have signed up to star in new HBO limited series "Scenes From a Marriage," based on Ingmar Bergman's 1973 Swedish limited series of the same...
Detection of electrical signaling between tomato plants raises interesting questions
The soil beneath our feet is alive with electrical signals being sent from one plant to another, according to research in which a University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) distinguished...
Op-Ed: My research team makes COVID-19 death projections. Here's why our forecasts often change
My team at the University of Washington makes COVID-19 death projections, which change as more information becomes available.
European bison to be introduced into Kent woodland
The European mammals will restore a rich habitat for local wildlife, conservationists say.
Study reveals scale of habitat loss for endangered birds
A new study warns that the last remaining habitat for several endangered bird species in Europe could reduce by up to 50 per cent in the next century as farmers...
Eating more fruits, vegetables can cut diabetes risk by 25%
Eating more fruits, vegetables and whole grain foods could lower your risk of type 2 diabetes, two new studies suggest.
Critical early step of the visual process uncovered
The key components of electrical connections between light receptors in the eye and the impact of these connections on the early steps of visual signal processing have been identified for...
Study identifies unique cells that may drive lung fibrosis
This is one of the first comprehensive looks at lung cells using a technology called single-cell RNA sequencing. Instead of examining a mash-up of many cells from a tissue sample,...
What happens when food first touches your tongue
A new study might explain why humans register some tastes more quickly than others, potentially due to each flavor’s molecular size. The research, published last month in the journal PLOS Computational...
Police interviews: Breonna Taylor's home was 'soft target;' suspect was located
A Louisville, Ky., police officer involved in the killing of Breonna Taylor said officers knew she was likely alone in her apartment and that the suspect they were searching for...
Biologists trace plants' steady mitochondrial genomes to a gene found in viruses, bacteria
Biologists have traced the stability of plant mitochondrial genomes to a particular gene - MSH1 - that plants have but animals don't. Their experiments could lend insight into why animal...
A complex gene program initiates brain changes in response to cocaine
Researchers used single-nucleus RNA sequencing to compare transcriptional responses to acute cocaine in 16 unique cell populations from the brain nucleus accumbens. The atlas is part of a major study...
No NELL2, no sperm motility; novel protein is essential for male fertility
An international team of researchers has identified a chain of events that matures the sperm and triggers their motility. The findings have implications for diagnostic and therapeutic research in male...
A new role for a tiny linker in transmembrane ion channels
In the molecular-level world of ion channels—passageways through membranes that carry signals in a cell's environment and allow it to respond—researchers have debated about the role of a small piece...
Endangered California condors in Sequoia National Park for the first time in 50 years
For the first time in nearly 50 years, California condors have been spotted at Sequoia National Park, wildlife officials announced.
Discovery reveals how plants make cellulose for strength and growth
New research from the University of Virginia School of Medicine reveals how plants create the load-bearing structures that let them grow—much like how building crews frame a house.
Bats offer clues to treating COVID-19
Bats are often considered patient zero for many deadly viruses affecting humans, including Ebola, rabies, and, most recently, the SARS-CoV-2 strain of virus that causes coronavirus.
Watch: Florida family finds alligator swimming in backyard pool
Experts from a Florida reptile sanctuary were summoned to the home of a family who found a baby alligator swimming around their backyard pool.
Structural analysis of COVID-19 spike protein provides insight into its evolution
Researchers have characterized the structure of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein as well as its most similar relative in a bat coronavirus. The structures provide clues about how the spike evolved...
Unraveling the mystery of wheat herbicide tolerance
In a new study, scientists take advantage of wheat's flexible genetic makeup to identify chromosomal regions that help detoxify synthetic auxin herbicides.
Our itch to share helps spread COVID-19 misinformation
A study contains bad news and good news about Covid-19 misinformation -- and a new insight that may help reduce the problem.
Native bees also facing novel pandemic
There is growing evidence that another 'pandemic' has been infecting bees around the world for the past two decades, and is spreading: a fungal pathogen known as Nosema.
Bats offer clues to treating COVID-19
Bats carry many viruses, including COVID-19, without becoming ill. Biologists are studying the immune system of bats to find potential ways to 'mimic' that system in humans.
What happens when food first touches your tongue
A new study might explain why humans register some tastes more quickly than others, potentially due to each flavor's molecular size. The research also provided explanation as to why humans...
Global wildlife surveillance could provide early warning for next pandemic
Researchers propose a decentralized, global wildlife biosurveillance system to identify -- before the next pandemic emerges -- animal viruses that have the potential to cause human disease.