Latest science news in Biology & Nature
The First Organism on Earth May Have Been a Genetic Hybrid
A new experiment suggests DNA and RNA may have formed together before the origin of life -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
Scientists produce first open source all-atom models of COVID-19 'spike' protein
The virus SARS coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the known cause of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The "spike" or S protein facilitates viral entry into host cells.
Video: Microrobots roll against blood flow to deliver drugs
With the help of magnetic fields, the bots might one day navigate the circulatory system to target tumors
Study doubles number of experimentally detected proteins
Many of the detected proteins have unknown functions
Microbiome modifies worm's food choices
Gut bacteria can hijack the olfactory system of C. elegans
A new social role for echolocation in bats that hunt together
To find prey in the dark, bats use echolocation. Some species, like Molossus molossus, may also search within hearing distance of their echolocating group members, sharing information about where food...
The rate we acquire genetic mutations could help predict lifespan, fertility
Differences in the rate that genetic mutations accumulate in healthy young adults could help predict remaining lifespan in both sexes and the remaining years of fertility in women, according to...
When are California museums reopening? Some already have. Here's the list
Too soon? Time will tell. Here's a list of California museums that have reopened or provided a timeline for welcoming back visitors.
Scientists solve a thorny problem: Applications for citrus groves
''Why do plants have thorns?'' is an easy question: The thorns help protect against hungry animals that like to munch on the plants. ''Where do thorns come from?'' is a...
Uncovering the genetic basis of hermaphroditism in grapes, the trait that allowed domestication
Plant experts at UC Davis have defined the genetic basis of sex determination in grapevines, one of the oldest and most valuable crops worldwide. In new research biologists propose a...
Plants are marvelous chemists, as the gardenia's DNA shows
Plants are some of nature's most extraordinary chemists. Unlike animals, they can't run from predators or pathogens. They can't uproot themselves to spread their seeds. So instead, they manufacture chemicals...
Fungal pathogen disables plant defense mechanism
Cabbage plants defend themselves against herbivores and pathogens by deploying a defensive mechanism called the mustard oil bomb. Researchers have now been able to show that this defense is also...
Fantastic muscle proteins and where to find them
Setting out to identify all proteins that make up the sarcomere, the basic contractile unit of muscle cells, resulted in an unexpected revelation, providing experimental evidence that helps explain a...
Simple process unlocks DNA's potential to make biomaterials
The one-step, room-temperature method could generate gels, membranes, and plastics from DNA extracted from waste biomass
A new social role for echolocation in bats that hunt together
Searching for food at night can be tricky. To find prey in the dark, bats use echolocation, their "sixth sense." But to find food faster, some species, like Molossus molossus,...
The wind beneath their wings: Albatrosses fine-tuned to wind conditions
A new study of albatrosses has found that wind plays a bigger role in their decision to take flight than previously thought, and due to their differences in body size,...
Watch: Luke Bryan performs 'Build Me a Daddy ' on 'Tonight Show'
Luke Bryan performed "Build Me a Daddy," a song from his album "Born Here Live Here Die Here," ahead of Father's Day.
Effective mouse traps for keeping your home pest-free
Keep your house free of rodents. (Marina Khrapova via Unsplash/)Animal lover or not, there are some critters you just don’t want setting up shop in your house uninvited. Mice are one of the...
Diana Gabaldon confirms 'Outlander' prequel book is in the works
Diana Gabaldon has confirmed she is working on an "Outlander" prequel novel that will focus on Jamie Fraser's parents.
Fantastic muscle proteins and where to find them
Researchers at the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC) developed a mouse model that enables them to look inside a working muscle and identify the...
Global urbanization created the conditions for the current coronavirus pandemic
COVID-19 brought the relation between humans and animals to the core of social and scientific debates. COVID-19 is a zoonotic disease: the coronavirus that causes it crossed species boundaries from...
Python skin jackets and elephant leather boots: How wealthy Western nations help drive the global wildlife trade
Three-quarters of new and emerging infectious diseases in humans originate in wildlife. COVID-19, SARS and Ebola all started this way. The COVID-19 global pandemic has drawn new attention to how...
Human brain size gene triggers bigger brain in monkey fetus
A human-specific gene causes a larger neocortex in the common marmoset, a non-human primate.
'Dark matter' DNA is vital for rice reproduction
Researchers have shed light on the reproductive role of 'dark matter' DNA - non-coding DNA sequences that previously seemed to have no function. Their findings have revealed that a specific...
Study finds 'dark matter' DNA is vital for rice reproduction
Researchers from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST) have shed light on the reproductive role of 'dark matter' DNA—non-coding DNA sequences that previously seemed to have...
Fungal pathogen disables plant defense mechanism
Cabbage plants defend themselves against herbivores and pathogens by deploying a defensive mechanism called the mustard oil bomb: when the plant tissue is damaged, toxic isothiocyanates are formed and can...
Researchers establish atlas of lipids in living organisms
In an effort intended to accelerate research into lipids, a research group led by scientists from the RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences (IMS), the RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource...
Researchers characterize Meissner corpuscles in mice
A team of researchers from Harvard Medical School and Stanford University has learned more about the role Meissner corpuscles play in sensing touch in mice. In their paper published in...