Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Aquatic plants are essential to the ecosystem, but need good management, say researchers
Submerged macrophytes are declining in many shallow lakes around the world, with more algae and free-floating plants taking their place. But an opposite trend is also emerging: water bodies with...
Researchers develop new tool to identify nematode pest in beech leaf disease
Beech leaf disease (BLD) is an emerging threat to North American forest ecosystems. It was first discovered in northeastern Ohio in 2012, and has already spread to 12 additional U.S....
Recombinant and tunable spidroin hydrogels for drug release and cell culture
In a new study, researchers at Karolinska Institutet show that recombinant spider silk protein hydrogels have many attractive features. They allow encapsulation of cells and bioactive molecules simply by incubation...
Pathogenic fungus found to infect dung beetles in Australia
A locally found pathogenic fungus, Beauveria australis, has for the first time been observed infecting imported dung beetles in Australia.
Researchers unveil long-sought noncanonical cleavage mechanism in miRNA biogenesis
To discover and thoroughly demonstrate the newly identified noncanonical cleavage mechanism, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) research team, led by Prof. Tuan Anh Nguyen, Assistant Professor...
Struggling to calm your mind? Buddhist monks in Hacienda Heights offer meditation tips
Mediation is not just about sitting still. Monks from Hacienda Heights' Hsi Lai Temple show us different ways to maintain a meditative state while carrying on everyday activities.
Insect wings could inspire new self-cleaning technologies
Fresh insights into how insects use water droplets to wash dirt and pollutants from their bodies could help improve the performance of self-cleaning devices, a study suggests.
Close relative of aperiodic tile 'the hat' found to be a true chiral aperiodic monotile
Mathematicians from Yorkshire University, the University of Cambridge, the University of Waterloo and the University of Arkansas have one-upped themselves by finding a close relative of "the hat," a unique...
Missing link explains mRNA delivery in brain cells
Brain cells manufacture proteins in every corner, including their long branches. Neurons missing this ability cause severe neurological disorders like disability and epilepsy. The groups of Marino Zerial, Max Planck...
A fire brigade against mosquitoes: New technology can protect against the spread of tropical diseases
The warm season in Europe marks the beginning of the high season for mosquitoes. While they and their larvae serve as prey for many animals and thus play an important...
Industry knew about risks of PFAS 'forever chemicals' for decades before push to restrict them, study says
Makers of PFAS, a class of chemicals used in everything from cookware to food containers and makeup, knew the substances were toxic as early as the 1970s and obscured the...
Discovery of neurons that recognize others
Researchers from the Center for Cognition and Sociality (CCS) within the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) recently announced the discovery of neurons that allow us to recognize others. The research...
Major primate genome sequencing studies reveal new insight into evolution, biodiversity and key applications for human health
A new investigation led by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine's Human Genome Sequencing Center, the Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona, Spain, and Illumina, Inc....
Why we need to fall out of love with flaky white fish
The UK's growing mismatch between the fish we catch and the fish we want to eat has clear implications for our future food security, according to new research.
Tiny sensor could guide needles through the body, monitor health from afar
Go for a biopsy these days and chances are your doctor will have to knock you out, slice part of you open, and fish around for the needed tissue. But what if...
Poultry pests nipping at farmers' bottom line
A research team has taken a dive deep into the biology and integrated pest management of lesser mealworm (Alphitobius diaperinus), a species of darkling beetle that wreaks havoc on poultry...
Look: 'Skunk' reported stuck in Kentucky mud was a 'stinky' groundhog
Animal care and control officials in Kentucky said officers responding to a report of a skunk stuck in mud arrived to find the animal in distress was a "stinky" groundhog.
Watch: California zoo announces birth of white-handed gibbon baby
The Oakland Zoo in California announced the birth of a baby white-handed gibbon, which was hailed as a milestone for the zoo's conservation efforts.
Machine learning-based protein annotation tool predicts protein function
Microbes drive key processes of life on Earth. They affect global elemental cycles—the movement of carbon, nitrogen, and other elements. They also promote plant growth and affect the development of...
Symbiotic and pathogenic fungi may use similar molecular tools to manipulate plants
Symbiotic and pathogenic fungi that interact with plants are distantly related and don't share many genetic similarities. Comparing plant pathogenic fungi and plant symbiotic fungi, scientists at the Sainsbury Laboratory...
Smallest agri-SMEs in Africa owner-managed by women bore the brunt of COVID-19, new study reveals
The smallest agri-SMEs in Africa owner-managed by women bore the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new research led by a team of CABI scientists and published in the...
Customs agents find invasive fungi on flower stem imports
Customs and Border Protection agents discovered invasive fungi on flower stems that were shipped through the George Bush International Airport in Houston.
New study shows how adaptations to living in a cold climate promoted social evolution
For the first time ever, scientists have uncovered evidence that a species' long-term adaptation to living in an extremely cold climate has led to the evolution of social behaviours including...
How a fungus sidesteps a plant's defense mechanism
RIKEN scientists have discovered how a parasitic fungus renders harmless a powerful anti-fungal compound produced by some plants. As well as providing a fascinating glimpse into the ongoing arms race...
The Primate Genome Project unlocks hidden secrets of primate evolution
Researchers from Zhejiang University, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Northwest University, and Yunnan University, Aarhus University, and BGI-Research have jointly led a series of significant new studies are published in a...
Primates' DNA highlights applications for human health
A new investigation led by Tomàs Marquès-Bonet, an ICREA researcher at the IBE (CSIC-UPF) and a professor of Genetics at the Department of Medicine and Life Sciences (MELIS) at Pompeu...
Hundreds of new primate genomes offer window into human health—and our past
Humans have long seen themselves mirrored in other primates, with apes’ social behavior and cognitive abilities shedding light on our own. Now, two international teams have stared deeper into the mirror. By sequencing...
Ancient viruses discovered in coral symbionts' DNA
An international team of marine biologists has discovered the remnants of ancient RNA viruses embedded in the DNA of symbiotic organisms living inside reef-building corals.