Biology
Tree species diversity protects forests from climate extremes, study finds
New research has found that tree species diversity can play a crucial role in protecting forests from the growing threat of extreme climate events. The study analyzed data from 88…
Scientists discover how narwhals grow nature's only straight tusk
Narwhals have nature's only straight tusk, a single tooth up to three meters (10 feet) long, so strange they were sold as magical unicorn horns during the Middle Ages.
In ant nervous systems, gene expression may drive rescue behavior
Why do some ants help nestmates in distress while others don't? A research team from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) and Tel Aviv University addressed this question in a…
Periodical cicadas may be doomed to extinction
Every 13 or 17 years, swarms of cicadas emerge from the ground, their black bodies, orange-tinged wings and ruby-red eyes enveloping trees and forests. It is a biological marvel u…
Food and water stations for wild birds are contributing to spread of deadly diseases, study finds
Feeding stations providing food and water for wild birds are contributing to the spread of disease-causing parasites among farmland birds, researchers have said, with birds three …
Virus-like particles enable gene activity tracking over time in the same cells
In recent years, scientists have developed methods to measure a cell's transcriptome, or all the RNA produced by a cell, to study the cell's identity and genetic activity. However…
Underlying mechanism of Atg2-mediated lipid transfer in autophagy identified
Autophagy is an intracellular degradation mechanism in eukaryotes. The autophagosome, which encloses damaged or excess cellular material for degradation, is constructed from lipid…
From pets to zoos: How students perceive animal husbandry
Animals fulfill a wide range of roles in human society. They provide food, contribute to scientific research, live alongside people as companion animals, and play important roles …
Archaea as 'flexitarians': Ammonia-oxidizing microbes also feed on amino acids
Symbiotic ammonia-oxidizing archaea in marine sponges are not strict specialists but true "flexitarians." A team led by microbiologists Bettina Glasl and Katharina Kitzinger from …
Alcohol-related cancer deaths in US have more than doubled over three decades
Study finds just one drink per day could raise risk of disease with impacts extending far beyond liver cancerAlcohol-related cancer deaths in the US have more than doubled over th…
Bats show promise as a form of biological pest control in South African macadamia plantations
Labor-intensive harvesting and complex processing make macadamias among the most expensive nuts in the world. This makes it all the more important to protect the trees from pests.
Capturing localized protein and metabolic information from a single tissue section
Revealing how proteins and end products of biological activity (metabolites) change within specific tissue functional units during development or in response to environmental fact…
Since the 1980s, climate change has increasingly altered European bumblebee habitats
Global biodiversity loss is occurring at a rapid pace, driven by multiple human-caused factors, including overexploitation, pollution, invasive species and climate change. Despite…
Bath show highlights sibling finds – and England’s first paid female astronomer
Exhibition features artworks in townhouse where William and Caroline Herschel worked and lived in late-18th centuryFrom the garden of their Georgian townhouse in Bath, a brother a…
Not a cheetah: Ancient DNA reveals the surprising Arctic life of extinct North American cat
A new study led by researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, has overturned decades of assumptions about Miracinonyx trumani, the extinct predator popularly known a…
Divergent molecular mechanisms for fungal plant biomass conversion
Fungi are major degraders of plant biomass, including leaves, stems and roots. Investigating the molecular mechanisms that control this process is essential for identifying ways t…
Critically endangered pygmy raccoons observed making their own paper toys
Some of the most intriguing scientific breakthroughs happen when researchers aren't explicitly looking for them. Take, for example, the pygmy raccoon (Procyon pygmaeus), a critica…
An activity-based probe library for identifying protein function
Proteins are vital to living systems. They build and repair tissues, act as enzymes to speed chemical reactions, regulate hormones and transport nutrients—all of which are importa…
Brainless sea sponges use sunset to prepare for metamorphosis—and attach in 30 minutes
Well before I start collecting coats, keys or shoes, my dog always knows when we're about to leave. By picking up on subtle cues, he anticipates our next movements, reminding me h…
How hibernating squirrels retain sense of touch in the cold
For most mammals, cold suppresses neural activity and diminishes the sense of touch. But the thirteen-lined ground squirrel can detect touch in conditions as low as 4°C (39°F), ab…
Researchers test far-ultraviolet light to prevent bird flu in poultry
When a strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI, tore through U.S. poultry farms in early 2025, farmers culled tens of millions of birds, and egg prices soared.
Molecular snapshots reveal how bacteria assemble outer membrane proteins
Gram-negative bacteria are responsible for several infections that are hard to treat because of their high resistance to antibiotics. These bacteria possess an outermost layer cal…
Week in wildlife: a hitchhiking crab, a shy wallaby and penguins in little jackets
This week’s best wildlife photographs from around the world Continue reading...
Your house may be a haven for wildlife. It's time we design homes with nature in mind
Ever found a bare-nosed wombat napping under your house or heard a possum thumping around in your attic?