Biology
Hide-and-seek for treats offers a new window into cognitive decline in dogs
It is tough to watch a dog deal with issues associated with aging. A senior dog that gets lost at home or starts showing more anxiety may be exhibiting signs of dementia. But by t…
What is red crown rot? Expert explains emerging soybean pathogen
Red crown rot, a fungal disease of soybean, is not new to the Midwest. First reported in Illinois in 2018, the disease is now surging across the state and the region. Boris Camile…
Costly dead-tissue disorder in apples caused by faster growth rates
New research reveals that faster growth rates in Honeycrisp apples increase both the incidence and severity of the "bitter pit" disorder, which is responsible for large-scale frui…
Iris patterns offer a noninvasive way to recognize individual Amazonian treefrogs
Identifying individual animals in the wild has long meant tagging, branding or clipping. For amphibians, the standard approach has often been toe-clipping, a procedure that can af…
Can AI really predict cancer survival better than a doctor? I have my doubts | Devi Sridhar
Take a selfie to see how healthy you are: the idea is enticing and this new research is promising. But so many factors have been ignoredThe idea that a single selfie could predict…
India slashes cost of cancer drugs after court rules mark-ups are ‘extortion’
Case filed in 2022 by patient unable to afford medicine leads to cap on drug prices for millions who face ruin if diagnosedThe Indian government has moved to reduce the price of c…
How citizen science is tracking changes in shorelines around the world
An app and a camera phone are all that’s needed at more than 200 spots to help researchers monitor coastal areasThe shoreline changes with the weather. Tracking these changes over…
‘Bespoke’ mRNA vaccine significantly reduces risk of melanoma recurrence or death, clinical trial shows
Trial results represent ‘foundational shift’ in approach to cancer, allowing scientists to harness immune system in more personalised wayGet our new political email, free app or d…
Mother bats' hearts beat faster at the sound of their own babies' cries
A mother bat has one crucial challenge: find her own babies among hundreds of other bats in the colony. Making sure she cares for and nurses only her own offspring is important to…
Researchers develop AI tool to map microRNA binding sites on circular RNAs
Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are loop-shaped molecules that can influence gene regulation through interactions with microRNAs (miRNAs). This matters because circRNAs can exist as diff…
Australia offers astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg for space mission to International Space Station
Australian of the Year would become the first astronaut in space to qualify under the Australian flag if she embarks on the 2028 missionThe federal government has sent an offer to…
With climate-resilient crops in mind, study tackles flaw in photosynthesis
Rising temperatures and increasing drought are shortening crop-growing seasons in many parts of the world. Now scientists in Sweden report new advances toward engineering more eff…
Helping microgreens pack even more of a nutritional punch
Microgreens are nutritional powerhouses. A team of plant scientists at Penn State conducting research on multiple aspects of microgreens recently published three studies reporting…
DNA and underwater footage reveal two new species of deep-sea siphonophores
New research is shedding light on the diversity of deep-sea siphonophores. A team of scientists from MBARI, the University of Gdańsk, New York University and Yale University condu…
Canine cancer patients contribute to next-generation minimally invasive cancer therapies for dogs and humans
Natural disasters. Hikes. Long, dark nights alone. For many people, dogs offer a sense of safety and comfort in challenging or uncertain times. Cancer researchers at a new lab at …
Natural forest regeneration helps curb spread of invasive species
The presence of non-native trees is often seen as an obstacle to the recovery of tropical forests regrowing in previously deforested areas. To better understand the behavior of th…
The assumption about farm automation that may be wrong
You've likely heard this assumption: When AI-enabled and autonomous machines arrive on the farm, jobs will disappear. But researchers at the University of California, Davis, who s…
Stream restoration improves biodiversity but not necessarily ecosystem functioning
The EU Nature Restoration Regulation adopted in 2024 establishes the restoration of ecosystem functions as an objective of stream restoration. But can conventional measures that f…
Ants break a basic rule of biology to help them adapt to new environments
A new study led by researchers in the Eco-Evo-Devo lab at the University of Ottawa finds that ants can decouple antenna size from both head and body size as they develop into diff…
A parasite carried by one-third of humanity can't reproduce if one key protein is disabled
A protein discovered in a Virginia Tech–led study may open a gateway to treatments for a parasite responsible for a deadly disease in immunocompromised people. The team led by Raj…
Autumn wreaths and 'doorscaping': Why we need more life in our front gardens
There was a time when decorative wreaths appeared on front doors in December, stayed on front doors for a few weeks and then disappeared.
Mosquito bites are more complicated than they appear—getting a closer look might lead to better disease prevention
Female mosquitoes need blood to produce eggs. While much research has focused on how these hungry mosquitoes find their targets, less is known about what happens after they land o…
Drought shifts more plant root cells into newly discovered environmental response mode
Scientists have discovered a hidden layer of identity in plant root cells: an "environmental mode" that switches on in some cells and becomes more common when water is scarce. The…
How does fake tan work, and why does it sometimes smell 'cookie-like'?
Real tans come from UV-triggered pigment production in living skin; that same UV exposure increases the risk of skin cancer.