Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Transcriptomic signatures across human tissues identify functional rare genetic variation
Rare genetic variants are abundant across the human genome, and identifying their function and phenotypic impact is a major challenge. Measuring aberrant gene expression has aided in identifying functional, large-effect...
The impact of sex on gene expression across human tissues
Many complex human phenotypes exhibit sex-differentiated characteristics. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these differences remain largely unknown. We generated a catalog of sex differences in gene expression and in the...
A molecular pore spans the double membrane of the coronavirus replication organelle
Coronavirus genome replication is associated with virus-induced cytosolic double-membrane vesicles, which may provide a tailored microenvironment for viral RNA synthesis in the infected cell. However, it is unclear how newly...
The hepatocyte clock and feeding control chronophysiology of multiple liver cell types
Most cells of the body contain molecular clocks, but the requirement of peripheral clocks for rhythmicity and their effects on physiology are not well understood. We show that deletion of...
The GTEx Consortium atlas of genetic regulatory effects across human tissues
The Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) project was established to characterize genetic effects on the transcriptome across human tissues and to link these regulatory mechanisms to trait and disease associations. Here, we...
Analysis of Australian labradoodle genome reveals an emphasis on the 'oodle'
The creator of the Australian labradoodle set out to mix poodles and Labrador retrievers to develop a hypoallergic service dog. But, according to a new study by Elaine Ostrander at...
Odors produced by soil microbes attract red fire ants to safer nest sites
Newly mated queens of the red fire ant select nest sites with a relatively low pathogen risk by detecting odors produced by soil bacteria that inhibit the growth of ant-infecting...
GTEx Consortium releases fresh insights into how DNA differences govern gene expression
Scientists from the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) project, a National Institutes of Health-funded consortium including researchers from the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, have completed a wide-ranging set of studies...
Researchers anticipate rise of some mosquito-borne diseases
All mosquitoes are not created equal. Different species of the flying pest thrive at various temperature ranges and transmit different diseases. From this starting point, a Stanford-led paper for the first time...
'Significant' looper moth outbreak threatens North Shore trees
Coniferous forests across Vancouver's North Shore have been transformed into a bug buffet in recent weeks, as groups of hungry young moths seek sustenance, threatening hundreds of trees in the process.
Authorities investigating loose tiger sightings in Tennessee
Authorities in Tennessee said they are investigating multiple sightings of a tiger seen wandering loose in the Knoxville area.
Thousands of species recorded in a speck of soil
Researchers have developed a new technique to tease ancient DNA from soil, pulling the genomes of hundreds of animals and thousands of plants -- many of them long extinct --...
Over a century later, the mystery of the Alfred Wallace's butterfly is solved
An over a century-long mystery has been surrounding the Taiwanese butterfly fauna ever since the 'father of zoogeography' Alfred Russel Wallace described a new species of butterfly: Lycaena nisa, whose...
Putting a future avocado 'apocalypse' on ice
For the first time, an Australian cryogenics scientist has shown that avocado shoot tips can be successfully frozen and revived -- and that's great news for future generations of the...
Putting a future avocado apocalypse on ice
The supply of smashed 'avo' is secure for generations after world-first research cryopreserved the tips of avocado shoots and then revived them to create healthy plants.
New study of molar size regulation in hominins
The molar size relationship is one of the peculiar characteristics of hominins species, and various theories have been proposed to account for this, as well as the differences in shape...
Caffeine shot delivers wake-up call on antifungal drug resistance
The management of fungal infections in plants and humans could be transformed by a breakthrough in understanding how fungi develop resistance to drugs. It was previously thought that only mutations...
How chemical diversity in plants facilitates plant-animal interactions
We aren't the only beings who enjoy feasting on tasty fruits like apples, berries, peaches, and oranges. Species like bats, monkeys, bears, birds, and even fish consume fruits—and plants count...
Researchers solve decades old mitochondrial mystery that could lead to new disease treatments
Researchers have solved a decades old mystery around a key molecule fueling the power plant of cells that could be exploited to find new ways to treat diseases, from neurodegenerative...
Prediction of protein disorder from amino acid sequence
Structural disorder is vital for proteins' function in diverse biological processes. It is therefore highly desirable to be able to predict the degree of order and disorder from amino acid...
Sampling the gut microbiome with an ingestible pill
Gut microbes affect human health, but there is still much to learn, in part because they're not easy to collect. But researchers now report that they have developed an ingestible...
The surprising rhythms of Leopards: Females are early birds, males are nocturnal
After 10 months of camera surveillance in the Tanzanian rainforest, researchers from the University of Copenhagen have become the first to conclude that female and male leopards are active at...
Diamondback moth uses plant defense substances as oviposition cues
A research team from the Nanjing Agricultural University in Nanjing, China, and the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena, Germany, showed that isothiocyanates produced by cruciferous plants to...
South Korea returns to auditing defector groups
South Korea is resuming audits of local groups registered with Seoul's unification ministry, after a brief hiatus in August due to a new wave of COVID-19 infections.
Dominic Thiem becomes first Austrian to reach U.S Open semifinals
Second-seeded Dominic Thiem became the first Austrian player to clinch a spot in a U.S. Open semifinal with a straight-sets victory over Alex de Minaur in the quarterfinals of the...
Human disturbance of ecosystems leads to increase in disease-transmitting mosquitoes
The changes that humans are making to the landscape are beneficial for mosquitoes that spread diseases such as Zika, chikungunya and dengue. This is what biologist Maarten Schrama and his...
Swimming with whales: You must know the risks and when it's best to keep your distance
Three people were injured last month in separate humpback whale encounters off the Western Australia coast.
Baboon matriarchs enjoy less stress
You know the type: Loud. Swaggering. Pushy. The alpha male clearly runs the show. Female alphas are often less conspicuous than their puffed up male counterparts, but holding the top...