Latest science news in Biology & Nature
New genus of bacteria found living inside hydraulic fracturing wells
Ohio State University researchers and their colleagues have identified a new genus of bacteria living inside hydraulic fracturing wells. Researchers analyzing the genomes of microorganisms living in shale oil...
Brain circuit that drives sleep-wake states, sleep-preparation behavior is identified
Stanford University School of Medicine scientists have identified a brain circuit that's indispensable to the sleep-wake cycle. This same circuit is also a key component of the reward system, an...
Giraffes more speciose than expected
Scientists from the Senckenberg and the Giraffe Conservation Foundation have analysed the genetic relationships of all major populations of giraffe in the wild. The large study on the genetic makeup...
Study reveals how ionising radiation damages DNA and causes cancer
For the first time, researchers from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute and their collaborators have been able to identify in human cancers two characteristic patterns of DNA damage caused by...
The proteins that domesticated our genomes
EPFL scientists have carried out a genomic and evolutionary study of a large and enigmatic family of human proteins, to demonstrate that it is responsible for harnessing the millions of...
For biologists studying tiny worms, new technologies make big improvements
Two new technologies are helping scientists understand new aspects of organ and nervous system development in C. elegans. One allows them to image worms developing in a natural environment, while...
New study resolves the structure of the human protein that causes cystic fibrosis
In order to better understand how genetic mutations give rise to cystic fibrosis, researchers need to map the protein responsible for the disorder. The new structure has led to new...
For microbes fighting viruses, a fast response means a better defense
Researchers have found that the bacterial immune system targets an invading virus as soon as it enters the cell. This discovery answers a long-standing question about how microbes defend themselves....
Study identifies “night owl” gene variant
Scientists have discovered a common mutation that might explain why some people have trouble going to sleep at night and getting up early. The gene alteration slows the internal biological...
Scientists discover how crucial DNA sequences endure
The centromere region of chromosomes retains the same DNA from one generation to the next. Scientists have gained new insights into how it avoids being scrambled in normal cells, and...
Researchers track fish migration by testing DNA in seawater
For the first time, researchers have successfully recorded fish migration by conducting DNA tests on water samples. Using this method to estimate the abundance and distribution of fish species could...
Shooting the messenger: how one protein allows germ cells to develop
Researchers have identified a molecule that guides the formation of eggs and sperm by preventing a host of factors related to cell death and inflammation from killing the precursors to...
Scientists engineer human-germ hybrid molecules to attack drug-resistant bacteria
Taking a cue from viruses that infect and kill bacteria, the researchers engineered molecules capable of targeting the bugs in a way the human immune system cannot—an approach that could...
Don't Feed the Animals: Researchers Warn of Risks Tied to Wildlife Interactions
A study led by a UC San Diego scientist offers new warnings on the dangers of human interactions with wildlife. The new report, which focuses on elephants, indicates that human...
WCS to Push for Protections for the Okapi, African Hornbills, Galapagos Iguanas, and Other Threatened and Endangered Species at CITES CoP20
WCS to Push for Protections for the Okapi, African Hornbills, Galapagos Iguanas, and Other Threatened and Endangered Species at CITES CoP20
Theory for Aerosol Droplets From Contaminated Bubbles Bursting Gives Insight Into Spread of Pollution, Microplastics, Infectious Disease
A systematic study of aerosol jets from contaminated bubbles bursting has resulted in a theoretical model predicting the influence of contaminants on spray size, illustrating an important mechanism for airborne...
A Molecule that Seeks Out Forever Chemicals in Water
PFAS are ubiquitous substances with an insidious name: forever chemicals. Recently, numerous variants of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been detected throughout the environment, including in the blood of...
A newly discovered cell helps pythons poop out the bones of their prey
The cells helps the snakes absorb the bones of their prey — and might show up in other animals that chomp their meals whole.
Simulations reveal how sharp boundaries endure in soft tissue
Research could help explain how cells organize into complex living systems
Are salmon sperm facials really good for your skin?
Med spas all over Los Angeles now offer what they call salmon DNA facials. Does the trendy social media-approved treatment actually work?
Called to the threshold, a death doula learns from the dying
Transitions and transformations can be fraught, even torturous. As a death doula, a big part of the work is sitting in that liminal space.
Inside Nike's all-women half-marathon in L.A.: the good, the bad and the surprising
From long lines to a delayed start time and a finale concert with Doechii, here's everything that happened at the Nike After Dark tour at SoFi Stadium.
What is a mushroom really? Two titans of the wellness world duke it out
Paul Stamets and Jeff Chilton began as friends, their collaboration leading to the rise of medicinal mushroom supplements. Until they disagreed on one important thing: the definition of mushroom.
Measles on the rise in California: More cases so far this year than all of 2024
California has already reported more measles cases this year than in all of 2024, a worrisome development that comes as the nation is suffering its largest outbreak of the super-infectious...
Planes are having their GPS hacked. Could new clocks keep them safe?
How a new atomic clock might be the way to tackle attacks on plane GPS systems
Kew Gardens' Palm House will close for five years for major makeover
The 175-year-old glass house will begin a £50m renovation in 2027.
Tiny creatures gorge, get fat, and help fight global warming
Scientists find out how the epic deep sea migration of a tiny animal is storing planet-warming carbon.
Work begins to create artificial human DNA from scratch
Scientists start a controversial project to create the building blocks of human life, in what is thought to be a world first.