Biology
Genome-folding complex reveals a mechanism that helps establish neuron identity
A functional nervous system depends on the cooperation of many kinds of cells. As developing organisms build their nervous systems, their neurons must take on different forms and …
Structural snapshots reveal key steps in switching on DNA replication
Every time a cell divides, it must accurately copy its entire genetic instruction manual. Before this process can begin, cells load their DNA-copying motor—a complex of six subuni…
An African bat overlooked for two centuries is confirmed in Europe
An African bat whose presence in Sicily had remained an unresolved zoological mystery for almost two centuries has now been documented on Pantelleria Island. A study published in …
Most mammal species discovered in the Global South since 1990 end up in Northern collections
According to a study by Brazilian scientists published in the journal npj Biodiversity, most new mammal species described over the past 35 years are housed in institutions in coun…
A new mathematical tool to uncover 'who eats whom' in nature
Understanding "who eats whom" is the key to keeping our oceans alive—and our dinner plates full. However, this invisible network that makes up the food chain can unravel with the …
Building real-time control for engineered biological systems
Scientists can engineer living cells to perform useful tasks, from producing medicines and sustainable chemicals to detecting disease. Unlike traditional engineered systems, livin…
Lost 'botanical hotspot' identified at University of York campus
One of the special plants once found at Heslington Fields, the marsh helleborine orchid. The grounds, now occupied by the University of York's Campus East and parts of Campus West…
From the coasts to the plains, bird flu could threaten not just birds—but their homes
Yesterday, I woke to a cold, damp Canberra morning—and silence. The trees around my home were empty of feathered silhouettes. Even the usual bright-eyed, warble-voiced magpies wer…
AI and 8 million digitized plant specimens reveal how the climate is changing nature in large parts of the world
AI optimists will be encouraged by a recent report on the state of the world's plants and fungi by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Cells remodel actin normally without coronins, challenging textbook view
Coronins are found throughout the animal kingdom, from single-celled amoebae to humans, and are involved in many vital processes, including immunity, development and cell survival…
Australian beekeepers can't tackle Varroa mite alone. Here's how we can help
For decades, Australia was the last inhabited continent free of the bee-killing Varroa mite (Varroa destructor).
Fifteen years of data link plastic pollution to seabird population losses
Every year, about 50 million metric tons of plastic is dumped into the environment. This waste entangles, chokes and poisons wildlife worldwide, including sable shearwaters living…
How healthy are our coral reefs? Researchers have built a tool to help find out
Researchers at the University of Sydney have harnessed more than 30 years of data to build a new method to more accurately measure the impact of climate change-induced events on t…
Five new wasp species discovered in Cyprus, including one named after Aphrodite
Scientists have described five new species of parasitoid wasps from Cyprus, more than doubling the number of chalcid wasps known to be found nowhere else on the island. The wasps,…
Robotic ocean glider reveals giant phytoplankton chains in the Mediterranean Sea
Scientists at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego and the Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography in Marseille, France, have discovered something surprising in the…
The use of AI in biotechnology is changing faster than the rules governing either technology
The recent announcement of novel, viable viruses created by artificial intelligence (AI) was celebrated as a major advance in the fight against antibiotic resistance. But it also …
How only a few tree species drive Amazon forest recovery
When a destroyed section of the Amazon rainforest begins to recover, nature deploys only a few tree species that can withstand poor soil conditions and blazing sun and grow rapidl…
Ancient Jomon DNA reveals a hidden Ice Age survival genetic toolkit
Between 29,000 and 19,000 years ago, the planet experienced some of its coldest temperatures and drastic landscape changes at the peak of the Ice Age, during the Last Glacial Maxi…
Double spiral inside narwhal tusks may explain their resistance to bending
The narwhal's impressive tusk has long been the subject of myths. In the Middle Ages, they were sold as unicorn horns believed to possess magical powers. Now, an international tea…
'Snooping' on dolphins offers acoustic clues to hotspots for food and friends
For dolphins, the ocean is a world of sound. Their whistles carry social information, helping them communicate and stay connected, while echolocation—rapid-fire clicks—functions l…
More than 5,000 little penguins will be vaxxed against bird flu. How will this protect them?
A major push is underway to catch and vaccinate more than 5,000 little penguins in Victoria to protect them against the virulent H5N1 bird flu.
Tomato roots reveal hidden steps in 400-million-year-old fungal partnership
Scientists at VIB and Ghent University have produced the first high-resolution, cell-by-cell map of how tomato roots respond to colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. These…
The ultra rich are collecting fossils. And that’s bad for science - video
One of the UK’s best fossil collections has been sold overseas in what experts have called a loss to the nation. The collection, which is now on display at the Natural History Mus…
Scientists who turned to OnlyFans to fund marmot research receive crypto boost
Funding boost worth $100,000 has recently materialized in form of new marmot-themed cryptocurrencyScientists who turned to OnlyFans to help save long-running research into marmots…