Biology
A new role for nitrate reductase in regulating nitrogen-responsive nodulation
Certain plants, including legumes, form specialized organs called root nodules, where they establish symbiotic relationships with nitrogen-fixing bacteria. This root nodule symbio…
How well do past extinctions predict extinction risk today?
In the last few centuries, mammals and other animals have been going extinct at least 100 times faster than they did before humans arrived on the scene. So who will be next? Which…
A cell-motility pathway helps set the pace of embryo development
A molecular pathway known for controlling cell shape and movement also helps regulate the rhythm by which the vertebrate body is divided into repeated segments, FMI researchers re…
'Shaking up' biofilm research: Active topography reduces bacterial infections
The use of antibiotics has traditionally been considered the gold standard in bacterial infection control—the more bacterial cells you kill, and the faster you kill them, the bett…
China's solar push linked to bird diversity losses across 2,344 counties
The global push for solar energy expansion could carry hidden biodiversity costs, according to a study across China published in the journal Science on Thursday.
100-million-year-old molecular 'bypasses' may have helped grasses dominate landscapes and agriculture
100 million years ago, long before human intervention, ancestors of grasses, including wheat, rice and maize, developed "bypasses" in chemical pathways used to create two critical…
Farm mice study shows antibiotic resistance is an environmental problem, not just a medical one
Scientists analyzed the genomes of gut microorganisms from an extensive population of 875 wild house mice (Mus musculus) collected from farms in Germany. They searched for genes r…
DNA's physical properties may shape which mutations evolution preserves
Nearly every cell in the human body contains essentially the same genetic information, yet different cells activate different genes. For regulatory proteins to reach these genes, …
3D imaging and machine learning improve noncontact weight estimation of frozen skipjack tuna
Accurately determining fish body size and weight is essential for fisheries resource management and seafood processing; however, measuring large quantities of fish is labor-intens…
Neanderthal hips challenge long-standing hypothesis of a trade-off between childbirth and bipedal walking
The most prominent difference between human male and female skeletons is the pelvis, which anthropologists often use to determine the sex of ancient remains. Scientists have long …
Fertilizer prices and shortages are hamstringing our farmers. But we have other options
When was the last time you bought a loaf of bread?
The first wave of bird flu is the worst: What can Australia learn from overseas?
Hundreds of dead birds are now being reported as the lethal H5N1 strain of bird flu begins to spread across Australia. Government reports show the virus is circulating in resident…
How sex sheds evolutionary baggage
Why is there sex—or, more precisely, sexual reproduction? If you're an evolutionary biologist, the answer isn't obvious. Sexual reproduction is biologically costly, requiring not …
Ocean time travelers return with secrets of the Great Barrier Reef
A team of Australian researchers has woven together modern science and Indigenous knowledge to reveal new insights into the evolution, history and future of the southern Great Bar…
RNA droplets may have helped start life on Earth
It's one of the origins-of-life chicken-or-egg problems: How could RNA have helped give rise to the first cells before there were cells to contain it?
It's finally raining, but the drought's not over
After a summer that has seen England and Wales experience the driest July since records began, rain is finally on the horizon. But with reservoirs at ‘exceptionally low’ levels, w…
There is nothing scientific about The Great ADHD Myth? ‘documentary’ | Gina Rippon
Channel 4’s programme wastes a chance to ask important questions about how ADHD is diagnosed and treated, instead indulging in unscientific methods and conspiracy theoriesWhen Cha…
Drought stress in trees: What to expect and what to do
Recurring and prolonged periods of drought are worsening worldwide, triggering a dangerous chain reaction for trees, according to a forest health expert at North Carolina State Un…
Australia races to shield little penguins from H5N1 bird flu
Australian wildlife workers have launched an unprecedented effort to vaccinate wild populations of little penguins against the highly contagious H5N1 avian influenza.
Capture the Dark 2026: Winning photographs
A selection of winning images from DarkSky International’s 2026 Capture the Dark photography contest. It is the sixth edition of the annual night-time photography competition, whi…
Honeybees struggle to gather nectar in August, direct measurements reveal
Letting late-summer weeds grow could help honeybees when they find it most challenging to gather nectar, according to new research published in the journal, Functional Ecology.
It’s finally raining. Will it be enough to end the drought? – podcast
After a summer that has seen England and Wales experience the driest July since records began, rain is finally on the horizon. But with reservoirs at ‘exceptionally low’ levels, w…
Warming waters draw summer 'feeding frenzies' by whales off Greenland
The effects of global warming depend on species: The losers are legion, but a lucky few are winners. Now, researchers have shown that baleen whales are taking advantage of a newly…
Innovation enhances multiomics workflow, eliminates sample preparation
A patent-pending method developed and tested for multiple applications at Purdue University eliminates sample preparation, a bottleneck that currently dominates a laboratory scien…