Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Unlocking the cell enhances student learning of the genetic code
An open-source educational biotechnology called the "Genetic Code Kit" has been developed by California Polytechnic State University researchers to allow students to interact with the molecular process inside cells in...
Down syndrome mice open door to better understanding of the disorder
Researchers have created and characterized a new mouse replica of Down syndrome, long considered one of the most challenging disorders to simulate in laboratory animals.
Songbirds, like people, sing better after warming up
If you've ever been woken up before sunrise by the chirping of birds outside your window, you may have wondered: why do birds sing so loud, so early in the...
Illegal trade with terrestrial vertebrates in markets and households of Laos
Scientists provide the first interdisciplinary assessment of human involvement into the terrestrial vertebrate trade in Laos and its impact on the survival of the local fauna populations. Sixty-six traded species...
Out of sync: Ecologists report climate change affecting bee, plant life cycles
Reporting on the first community-wide assessment of 67 bee species of the Colorado Rockies, ecologists say 'phenological mismatch,' changing timing of life cycles between bees and flowers, caused by climate...
Escape artists: How vibrio bacteria break out of cells
As soon as the foodborne pathogen Vibrio parahaemolyticus infects a human intestinal cell, the bacteria are already planning their escape. After all, once it is in and multiplies, the bacterium...
Biomedical scientists piece together how medication paralyzes parasitic worms
A new study upends the widely held belief that a medication used to treat lymphatic filariasis doesn't directly target the parasites that cause the disease. The research shows the medication,...
Termite-fishing chimpanzees provide clues to the evolution of technology
Unlike chimpanzees in East and West Africa, who use a single tool to extract termites, chimpanzees in Central Africa's Congo Basin use tool sets -- puncturing sticks or perforating twigs...
Team creates better tool to aid COVID-19 diagnosis
A radiologist and an evolutionary anatomist have teamed up to show the same techniques used for research on reptile and bird lungs can be used to help confirm the diagnosis...
Watch: 'Class Action Park' coming to HBO Max on Aug. 27, trailer released
"Class Action Park," a documentary film about the world's most dangerous amusement park, is set to premiere on HBO Max on Aug. 27.
Lungfish fins reveal how limbs evolved
The evolution of limbs with functional digits from fish fins happened approximately 400 million years ago in the Devonian. This morphological transition allowed vertebrates to leave the water to conquer...
This WWII shipwreck hosts an underwater kingdom of bacteria
The Pappy Lane shipwreck, as seen from above. (John McCord/)Thousands of vessels are submerged in the waters off the coast of North Carolina. The Outer Banks, with its strong currents and storms that...
How a single gene drives aggression in wild songbird
A new study shows how differentiation of a single gene changes behavior in a wild songbird, determining whether the white-throated sparrow displays more, or less, aggression.
Termite-fishing chimpanzees provide clues to the evolution of technology
Researchers, who remotely videotaped a generation of wild chimpanzees learning to use tools, gain insights into how technology came to define human culture.
Researchers discover novel molecular mechanism that enables conifers to adapt to winter
Unlike broadleaf trees, conifers are evergreen and retain their photosynthesis structure throughout the year. Especially in late winter, the combination of freezing temperatures and high light intensity exposes the needles...
RNA as a future cure for hereditary diseases
Scientists have developed an RNA molecule that can be used in bone marrow cells to correct genetic errors that affect protein production. Patients suffering from a rare hereditary disease that...
Native Hawaiian tiger cowries eat alien invasive species
Researchers have discovered the Hawaiian tiger cowrie is a voracious predator of sponges. Among preferred sponge prey is the invasive Orange Keyhole sponge (Mycale grandis).
'Tiger King' zoo closed, new park to be private film set
The Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park in Oklahoma, which was the featured zoo on Netflix's "Tiger King," has been permanently closed.
Understanding the inner workings of the human heart
Researchers used artificial intelligence and genetic analyses to examine the structure of the inner surface of the heart using 25,000 MRI scans. They found that the complex network of muscle...
Stork briefly escapes enclosure at Maryland Zoo
The Maryland Zoo confirmed a saddle-billed stork escaped from its enclosure at the facility and was recaptured in an adjacent habitat housing rhinos, zebras and ostriches.
Songbirds, Like People, Sing Better After Warming Up
If you’ve ever been woken up before sunrise by the trilling and chirping of birds outside your window, you may have wondered: why do birds sing so loud, so early...
Oleandrin is a deadly plant poison, not a COVID-19 cure
With COVID-19 cases and deaths rising in the U.S. and globally, identifying new therapies to prevent and combat the virus is a top priority. Natural products from plants are an...
Alaska's salmon are getting smaller
New research suggests Alaska's salmon are spending fewer years in the ocean and returning early to spawn. As a result, Alaska's salmon are smaller than they were 30 years ago.
Filming underway in England for 'Call the Midwife' Christmas special
Filming began this week in England on the 2020 Christmas special for "Call the Midwife," the BBC announced.
Popular fish species disappear from Turkey's Marmara and Black Seas
Bluefin tuna, swordfish and Atlantic mackerel are among the fish species considered commercially extinct or extirpated on the Turkish side of the Marmara and Black Seas.
Tracking the tailbeats of a tiger shark
Although tiger sharks have a reputation as swift and fierce predators, new research by The University of Western Australia, Australian Institute of Marine Science and Murdoch University has revealed that...
Study finds clues to aging in 'junk' DNA
For decades, greater than 60% of the human genome was believed to be "junk DNA" that served little or no purpose in the course of human development. Recent research by...
'Jumping sequences' may alter gene expression in melons
On the surface, the humble melon may just look like a tasty treat to most. But researchers from Japan have found that this fruit has hidden depths: retrotransposons (sometimes called...