Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Study reveals how bacteria build essential carbon-fixing machinery
Scientists from the University of Liverpool have revealed new insight into how cyanobacteria construct the organelles that are essential for their ability to photosynthesise. The research, which carried out in...
Tackling coral reefs' thorny problem: Crown-of-thorns starfish
Researchers have revealed the evolutionary history of the crown-of-thorns starfish -- a predator of coral that can devastate coral reefs. Their findings shed light on how the populations of these...
Researchers create air filter that can kill the coronavirus
Researchers have designed a 'catch and kill' air filter that can trap the virus responsible for COVID-19, killing it instantly.
Pacifichem rescheduled for 2021
Meeting of Pacific Basin chemical societies will be held in Honolulu on Dec. 16–21, 2021
California sets record for most coronavirus cases in a single day
California cases are on pace to double every 24.8 days, a number that is used by experts to measure how quickly the virus is spreading.
Bumblebee habitats and diets change over their lifecycle
Bumblebees change their home ranges and dietary preferences after establishing nests, suggesting that diversified landscapes help support bee populations as their needs change during different phases of their lifecycle, according...
Supergenes play a larger role in evolution than previously thought
Large blocks of 'plug and play' genes play a super-sized role in adaption-and may help fill lingering gaps in Darwin's theories.
HBO Max acquires 'Class Action Park' doc about 'dangerous' N.J. amusement park
"Class Action Park," a documentary film about the world's "most dangerous water park," will stream on HBO Max.
Calculating a dog’s age in human years is harder than you think
To estimate your dog’s age in human years, multiply the dog’s age by seven, right? Wrong. A more accurate conversion isn’t so easy to do in your head: Multiply the natural logarithm...
Animals who try to sound 'bigger' are good at learning sounds
Some animals fake their body size by sounding 'bigger' than they actually are. Researchers studied 164 different mammals and found that animals who lower their voice to sound bigger are...
Evolutionary biologists find several fish adapt in the same way to toxic water
Several species of fish have adapted to harsh environments using the same mechanism, which brings to question evolutionary chance, according to a new study.
New molecular tool precisely edits mitochondrial DNA
The precision editing technologies that have revolutionized DNA editing in the cell nucleus have been unable to reach the mitochondrial genome. Now, researchers have broken this barrier with a new...
Misfolded membrane proteins cleared from cells by 'reubiquitinase'
Chinese researchers recently discovered a protein quality control mechanism called 'reubiquitination.' The mechanism, according to the researchers, could promote the elimination of misfolded membrane proteins, minimize their dwell time in...
Toledo football player Jahneil Douglas, 22, killed in shooting
University of Toledo defensive tackle Jahneil Douglas has died after he was shot while outside of a pizza restaurant in Toledo, Ohio. He was 22.
Sri Lanka rangers spot possible rare baby elephant twins
A pair of baby elephants feeding from the same mother have been spotted in a Sri Lankan national park, with officials speculating Wednesday the two could be a rare set...
Hearing persists at end of life
Hearing is widely thought to be the last sense to go in the dying process. Now UBC researchers have evidence that some people may still be able to hear while...
Enzymes as double agents: New mechanism discovered in protein modification
Proteins are the workers in a cell and, as the 'basic element of life," are responsible for the most widely varying metabolic processes. In plants, for example, they take on...
Study reveals the hidden fight within corals
Researchers from the School of Biological Sciences and Swire Institute of Marine Science at the University of Hong Kong are working to understand how the coral symbiosis may respond to...
Technique fishes valuable nutrients out of shrimp processing water
The seafood industry requires large amounts of water for food processing. Before used water is discharged, some organic matter, including protein, is typically removed. This sludge is usually landfilled or...
Fluorescent peptide nanoparticles, in every color of the rainbow
The discovery of green fluorescent protein (GFP), which is made by a jellyfish, transformed cell biology. It allowed scientists to stitch the GFP sequence to proteins from other organisms to...
Protein involved in corn's water stress response discovered
Researchers affiliated with the Genomics for Climate Change Research Center (GCCRC), hosted by the University of Campinas (UNICAMP) in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, have discovered a protein involved...
Hummingbirds found able to understand numerical order
A team of researchers from the University of St Andrews in the U.K. and the University of Lethbridge in Canada has found that hummingbirds are able to understand the concept...
Supergenes play a larger role in evolution than previously thought
Massive blocks of genes—inherited together 'plug and play' style—may play a larger role in evolutionary adaption than previously thought, according to new research in Nature.
How to precisely edit mitochondrial DNA
Scientists can now precisely edit the genes inside mitochondria, the tiny energy factories inside of cells.
Custom nanoparticle regresses tumors when exposed to light
A unique nanoparticle to deliver a localized cancer treatment inhibits tumor growth in mice, according to a team of Penn State researchers. The nanoparticles, developed by Daniel Hayes, associate professor...
Bats are hosts to a range of viruses but don't get sick – why?
Bats harbour many diverse viruses, including coronaviruses. Indeed, SARS, Mers and COVID-19—which are all caused by coronaviruses—are thought to have emerged from bats. These diseases can be deadly to humans,...
Evolutionary biologists find several fish adapt in the same way to toxic water
Several species of fish have adapted to harsh environments using the same mechanism, which brings to question evolutionary chance, according to a study by Kansas State University and Washington State...
To fool predators, antlion larvae play dead for unpredictable amounts of time
A new study, published Wednesday, doesn't explain why playing dead keeps prey alive, but did find that varying the time prey spends motionless can, at the very least, keep predators...