Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Coumarin compounds from oak barrels could contribute to bitter taste in wine and spirits
Wine and spirits are complex mixtures of flavor and aroma compounds, some of which arise during aging in wooden barrels. Among other compounds, oak wood releases coumarins, but how they...
Sun and rain transform asphalt binder into potentially toxic compounds
Chemists show that asphalt binder, when exposed to sun and water, leaches thousands of potentially toxic compounds into the environment.
How flies flip around on take-off from an upside- down position
Flies are able to right themselves very quickly when taking off from an upside-down position. Scientists studying this phenomenon discovered the surprising way these insects begin by turning their bodies...
In one hour, surface coating inactivates virus that causes COVID-19
Researchers have developed a surface coating that, when painted on common objects, inactivates SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
Two new species of parasite discovered in crabs: Discovery will help prevent infection of other marine species
Swansea University researchers have discovered two new species of parasite, previously unknown to science, in crabs in Swansea Bay, during a study on disease in the Celtic and Irish Seas.
Movements of tiger sharks at varying life stages tracked in Gulf of Mexico
A tracking study of 56 sharks provides a first look at how their patterns of movement across the Gulf of Mexico vary according to their sex, their life stage, and...
Marine drifters: Interdisciplinary study explores plankton diversity
Ocean plankton are the drifters of the marine world. They include algae, animals, bacteria, and protists that are at the mercy of the tide and currents. Many are microscopic, though...
Researchers develop first of its kind, simple test for identifying toxic silver ions
Chemistry researchers at the University of North Texas have developed a test to more easily identify toxic silver ions, which can be harmful to humans and the environment at high...
Watch: Rare and smelly corpse flower blooms in Pennsylvania
A Pennsylvania botanical garden is celebrating the blooming of a rare and particularly pungent plant known as a corpse flower.
Study reveals interesting differences between nobles, commoners in Denmark, Italy
A chemical analysis of bones from Danes and Italians from the Middle Ages revealed interesting clues on how they lived, particularly in the differences between noble families and less fortunate.
How flies flip around on take-off from an upside- down position
Flies are able to right themselves very quickly when taking off from an upside-down position. Scientists from the CNRS and from The Institute of Movement Science (ISM) at Aix-Marseille Université...
Ancient oyster shells provide historical insights
Scientists studying thousands of oyster shells along the Georgia coast, some as old as 4,500 years, have published new insights into how Native Americans sustained oyster harvests for thousands of...
For chimpanzees, salt and pepper hair not a marker of old age
Silver strands and graying hair is a sign of aging in humans, but things aren't so simple for our closest ape relatives --the chimpanzee. A new study found graying hair...
New study shows how plants regulate their growth-inhibiting hormones to survive
Scientists have, for the first time, observed one of the natural mechanisms underlying the regulation of the levels of growth inhibiting hormone in plants. This mechanism had been hitherto seen...
Coumarin compounds from oak barrels could contribute to bitter taste in wine and spirits
Wine and spirits are complex mixtures of flavor and aroma compounds, some of which arise during aging in wooden barrels. Among other compounds, oak wood releases coumarins, but how they...
Mystery about cause of genetic disease in horses
Warmblood fragile foal syndrome is a severe, usually fatal, genetic disease that manifests itself after birth in affected horses. Due to the defect, the connective tissue is unstable. Under force,...
Scientists uncover key process in the manufacture of ribosomes and proteins
Researchers at the University of Toronto have shown that an enzyme called RNA polymerase (Pol) II drives generation of the building blocks of ribosomes, the molecular machines that manufacture all...
Bacteria with a metal diet discovered in dirty glassware
Caltech microbiologists have discovered bacteria that feed on manganese and use the metal as their source of calories. Such microbes were predicted to exist over a century ago, but none...
Wolf culls will not save endangered caribou in Western Canada, new study finds
A government-sponsored wolf kill in Western Canada has had "no detectable effect" on reversing the decline of endangered caribou populations, a study says.
Molecular 'tails' are secret ingredient for gene activation
It might seem as though humans have little in common with the lowly yeast cell. Humans have hair, skin, muscles, and bones, among other attributes. Yeast have, well, none of...
Molecular 'tails' are secret ingredient for gene activation in humans, yeast, and other organisms
It might seem as though humans have little in common with the lowly yeast cell. Humans have hair, skin, muscles, and bones, among other attributes. Yeast have, well, none of...
Ideal method for rapid disease testing
In the pandemic age of telehealth and new technologies, remote site lab or point-of-care (POC) testing of biofluids is a potentially rapid and non-invasive way to test for most diseases—including...
Molecular “Tails” Are Secret Ingredient for Gene Activation in Humans, Yeast, and Other Organisms
It might seem as though humans have little in common with the lowly yeast cell. Humans have hair, skin, muscles, and bones, among other attributes. Yeast have, well, none of...
Tracking quokkas through fires
Dubbed the world's "happiest animal," there's still a lot we don't know about quokkas that is needed to secure the survival of the species. This is especially true for how...
California fails to protect Latino workers as coronavirus ravages communities of color
Experts say the failure to protect Latino essential workers has contributed to California's mid-summer spike of the coronavirus.
California fails to protect Latino workers as coronavirus ravages communities of color
Experts say the failure to protect Latino essential workers has contributed to California's mid-summer spike of the coronavirus.
New study shows how plants regulate their growth-inhibiting hormones to survive
In a world with a consistently growing population and a climate crisis, food shortage is a looming threat. To alleviate this threat, crop scientists, botanists, genetic engineers, and others, have...
Goodall: 'Great hope' chimpanzees can avoid extinction
Wild chimpanzees are under threat from deforestation and the bushmeat trade.