Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Most protected areas are vulnerable to invasive species
New research suggests many wildlife preserves and national parks are vulnerable to invasion by non-native plants and animals.
'Social distancing' saves frogs: New approach to identify individual frogs noninvasively
Globally, 41% amphibian species are regarded as threatened with extinction. However, when it comes to the case of India, the majority of the species falls in the Data Deficient group,...
Researchers restore neural connections in zebra fish
Harvard University researchers have developed an engineering technique to precisely control the direction that neurons grow their axons, cable-like structures that allow nerve cells to connect with each other. In a zebrafish model,...
Protected areas worldwide at risk of invasive species
Protected areas across the globe are effectively keeping invasive animals at bay, but the large majority of them are at risk of invasions.
Scientists propose new naming system for uncultivated bacteria and archa
The long-standing rules for assigning scientific names to bacteria and archaea are overdue for an update, according to a new consensus statement backed by 119 microbiologists from around the globe.
First systematic report on the tug-of-war between DNA damage and repair
A collaborative project between the Center for Genome Integrity, within the Institute for Basic Science (IBS, South Korea), and the Dundee School of Life Sciences, the EMBL's European Bioinformatics Institute...
Virus DNA spread across surfaces in hospital ward over 10 hours
Virus DNA left on a hospital bed rail was found in nearly half of all sites sampled across a ward within 10 hours and persisted for at least five days,...
Many factors may contribute to steep, decades-long muskrat population drop
Muskrat populations declined sharply across North America over the last 50 years or so, and wildlife scientists have struggled to understand why. A Pennsylvania research team investigated whether pathogens, parasites,...
Ultrathin nanosheets separate ions from water
In a world-first, an international research team, led by Monash University and ANSTO, has created an ultrathin porous membrane to completely separate potentially harmful ions, such as lead and mercury,...
Using near-infrared light to 3-D print an ear inside the body
A team of researchers with members from several institutions in China, one in the U.S. and one in Belgium, has developed a method for 3-D printing an ear inside of...
How a fungus turns ants into zombies
Researchers have elucidated the molecular mechanism of the fungus that turns ants into living zombies. The fungus specifically affects the ants' neurobiology, odor perception and biological clock. The Utrecht microbiologist...
Can we avoid an 'insect apocalypse' with a new appreciation for creepy-crawlies?
A new study looks at the global health of insect populations, and a new book calls for us to re-think our relationship with bugs in order to help save them.
Black birdwatchers push back against stereotypes, racism with #BlackBirdersWeek
#BlackBirdersWeek is a global online movement sparked by a racist incident in Central Park.
Newly identified gene reduces pollen number of plants
Producing fewer sperm cells can be advantageous in self-fertilizing plants. An international study led by the University of Zurich identified a gene in the model plant Arabidopsis that reduces the...
Researchers develop 3-D-printable material that mimics biological tissues
Biological tissues have evolved over millennia to be perfectly optimized for their specific functions. Take cartilage as an example. It's a compliant, elastic tissue that's soft enough to cushion joints,...
View into plant cells: A membrane protein is targeted to two locations
Metabolic processes are especially complex in plants due to their obligate sessile lifestyle, and scientists are discovering new and surprising connections that occur within plant cells. An important metabolic route...
We modelled the future of Leadbeater's possum habitat and found bushfires, not logging, pose the greatest threat
The Federal Court recently ruled that a timber harvesting company couldn't log potential habitat of the critically endangered Leadbeater's possum.
Discovering Colombia's rare flora and fauna
An expedition of top UK botanists into previously unexplored rainforest in Colombia found rare species.
Fish poop exposes what eats the destructive crown-of-thorns starfish
Adorned with spikes and toxins, crown-of-thorns starfish aren’t an easy meal. In fact, it’s long been thought that few animals could eat them. But an analysis of fish poop and stomach contents...
Protected areas worldwide at risk of invasive species
Protected areas across the globe are effectively keeping invasive animals at bay, but the large majority of them are at risk of invasions, finds a China-UK research team involving UCL.
Former Cincinnati Bengals star, Florida A&M coach Ken Riley dies at 72
Former Florida A&M head coach and athletic director Ken Riley, who was an All-Pro defensive back for the Cincinnati Bengals, died Sunday. He was 72.
Out With the Old Blood
There is great promise in 2020 that we might be able to make our bodies young without having to explicitly repair molecular damage, but just by changing the signaling environment....
Terahertz radiation can disrupt proteins in living cells
Researchers have discovered that terahertz radiation, contradicting conventional belief, can disrupt proteins in living cells without killing the cells.
Scientists develop unique polymer coating to tackle harmful fungi
Scientists have developed a new way to control harmful fungi, without the need to use chemical bioactives like fungicides or antifungals.
High-protein diets help insects to fight against blood parasites
Scientists studying insects have identified a crucial biological mechanism responsible for increasing their survival against blood parasites. The finding, in which a high protein diet is linked to increased survival,...
60-year-old Australian surfer killed in shark attack
A 60-year-old man was killed after being attacked by a nearly 10-foot long shark while surfing at a beach in Australia on Sunday, police said.
Great white shark diet surprises scientists
The first-ever detailed study of the diets of great white sharks off the east Australian coast reveals this apex predator spends more time feeding close to the seabed than expected.