Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Agents bust international shark finning, drug trafficking conspiracy
A federal prosecutor said agents have busted an international shark finning and drug trafficking conspiracy, resulting in a dozen arrests and the seizure of cash, gold, diamonds, drugs and wildlife.
Old males vital to elephant societies
Old male elephants play a key role in leading all-male groups, new research suggests.
Jaguars trade former third-round pick Ronnie Harrison to Browns
The Jacksonville Jaguars have agreed to trade safety Ronnie Harrison to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for a pick in next year's draft.
Stable SARS-CoV-2 genome is good news for vaccine developers
Scientists find that there is not a lot of genetic diversity for the novel coronaviruses spreading across the globe
Structure of mRNA initiation complex could give insight into cancer and other diseases
Researchers have solved the the structure of the complex formed when mRNA is being scanned to find the starting point for translating RNA into a protein. The discovery provides a...
Could plants help us find dead bodies? Forensic botanists want to know
Search teams looking for human remains are often slowed by painstaking on-foot pursuits or aerial searches that are obscured by forest cover. Researchers are now discussing utilizing tree cover in...
Watch: Nurse shark latches onto man's arm at Florida beach
Firefighters responded to a beach in Florida to help a man with an unusual problem -- a nurse shark latched onto his arm.
In butterfly battle of sexes, males deploy 'chastity belts' but females fight back
Some male butterflies seal their mate's genitalia with a waxy 'chastity belt' to prevent future liaisons. But female butterflies can fight back. Could this sexual one-upmanship ultimately result in new...
Hearing loss in naked mole-rats is an advantage, not a hardship
With six mutations in genes associated with hearing, naked mole-rats can barely hear the constant squeaking they use to communicate with one another. This hearing loss, which is strange for...
In butterfly battle of sexes, males deploy 'chastity belts' but females fight back
Some male butterflies go to extreme lengths to ensure their paternity—sealing their mate's genitalia with a waxy "chastity belt" to prevent future liaisons. But female butterflies can fight back by...
Hearing loss in naked mole-rats is an advantage, not a hardship
If naked mole-rats were human, they would be prescribed hearing aids. With six mutations in genes associated with hearing, naked mole-rats can barely hear the constant squeaking they use to...
Erick Carreira named editor in chief of JACS
Organic chemist is first Latino to lead the Journal of the American Chemical Society
How to capture images of cells at work inside our lungs
Scientists have discovered how to capture 'live' images of immune cells inside the lungs. The group is the first in the world to find a way to record, in real...
Older bulls hold important leadership roles in elephant societies
Older male elephants, or bulls, are vitally important to all-male elephant groups, according to a new study, leading migrations and helping younger bulls find food and water.
Start here to make a protein: Structure of mRNA initiation complex could give insight into cancer and other diseases
Researchers at the University of California, Davis and the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, U.K. have solved the the structure of the complex formed when mRNA is being...
Reconstitution of autophagosome nucleation defines Atg9 vesicles as seeds for membrane formation
Autophagosomes form de novo in a manner that is incompletely understood. Particularly enigmatic are autophagy-related protein 9 (Atg9)–containing vesicles that are required for autophagy machinery assembly but do not supply...
Changes in regeneration-responsive enhancers shape regenerative capacities in vertebrates
Vertebrates vary in their ability to regenerate, and the genetic mechanisms underlying such disparity remain elusive. Comparative epigenomic profiling and single-cell sequencing of two related teleost fish uncovered species-specific and...
Engineering human ACE2 to optimize binding to the spike protein of SARS coronavirus 2
The spike (S) protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) binds angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) on host cells to initiate entry, and soluble ACE2 is a therapeutic candidate...
Evolution and epidemic spread of SARS-CoV-2 in Brazil
Brazil currently has one of the fastest-growing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) epidemics in the world. Because of limited available data, assessments of the impact of nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) on this...
Structural basis for translational shutdown and immune evasion by the Nsp1 protein of SARS-CoV-2
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative agent of the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. A major virulence factor of SARS-CoVs is the nonstructural protein 1...
Structure of a human 48S translational initiation complex
A key step in translational initiation is the recruitment of the 43S preinitiation complex by the cap-binding complex [eukaryotic initiation factor 4F (eIF4F)] at the 5' end of messenger RNA...
Regulation of sleep homeostasis mediator adenosine by basal forebrain glutamatergic neurons
Sleep and wakefulness are homeostatically regulated by a variety of factors, including adenosine. However, how neural activity underlying the sleep-wake cycle controls adenosine release in the brain remains unclear. Using...
BARDA funds patch- and pill-based vaccine technology for COVID-19
The minor funding for 4 groups could provide an alternative to needles
Gene-edited embryos should not be used for pregnancy, international commission says
More research is needed to ensure the safety of heritable genome changes
Secrets of male elephant society revealed in the wild
Mature male elephants play a crucial role in passing on their knowledge to younger males, a study suggests.
New species of freshwater crustacea found in the hottest place on Earth
A new species of freshwater Crustacea has been discovered during an expedition of the desert Lut, known as the hottest place on Earth.
Excitable cells: Tracking the evolution of electrical signalling in plants
A study led by researchers from Tasmania, Chile and Germany has furthered our understanding of plant evolution by tracking the origins of electrical signaling components that plants developed to communicate...
Study reveals lactose tolerance happened quickly in Europe
A new study published in Current Biology reveals that the ability for humans to digest milk (lactase persistence) spread through Central Europe quickly in evolutionary terms.