Biology
Flexible protein gate controls access to mitochondrial folds, simulations suggest
Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, mitochondria in our cells churn out energy from the food we eat, which keeps our bodies functioning. Much of this work happens along cr…
Shape-shifting sensory cells may help insects process visual information with less delay
Anyone who has ever tried and failed to swat a fly has experienced the speed of a tiny nervous system. Now, a new review brings together evidence that its secret lies partly in mi…
Diet alone cannot explain differences in gut bacterial communities
Why do the gut microbiomes of people from industrialized and nonindustrialized regions differ? A study by the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research (HZI) in collaboration with t…
New Zealand's native plant seeds may survive wildfires
Mākaka (native broom) and kōwhai seeds might be able to survive the heat of fires, new research shows. Scientists heated native and exotic seeds in a lab oven to temperatures they…
Viewing honey bee colonies as superorganisms could reshape beekeeping practices
A new study seeks to challenge the conventional view of a honey bee colony. Viewing colonies as superorganisms redefines the fundamental biology of the honey bee colony. These ins…
Meet the long-legged giants that light up the deep ocean
Thousands of meters below the waves off Australia's east coast, far beyond where sunlight can reach, a stunning light show takes place in the dark. The cause? Two species of long-…
From food to fuel, AI helps pinpoint how to grow 'microalgae' at scale
Microalgae (microscopic organisms that use light and carbon dioxide to grow) can be used to make ingredients and food for animals, pigments and potentially renewable fuels. But gr…
Tiny channels between plant cells respond to wound alerts through hydrogen peroxide bursts
When a person falls and gets a cut or a scrape, they often use hydrogen peroxide to clean the wound. This molecular compound is also produced within our cells, helping our immune …
Nobel prize in physics 2026: high energy cosmic neutrinos
Second up for the 2026 Nobel Prizes was the award for physics. And this year it went to just one scientist, Francis Halzen. The Belgian physicist won the prize based on his work o…
How invasive Egyptian geese exploit food sources and carry parasites
The Egyptian goose, native to Africa, is considered an invasive species of Europe-wide significance. Researchers from the Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Center and …
Endangered Lantau toads show genetic and call differences that could signal an emerging species
The short-legged horned toad (Boulenophrys brachykolos), listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, is the o…
Warming oceans reshape plankton, potentially leaving fish with less nutritious food
The world is changing. As humans, we tend to focus on what happens on land, but the planet's food systems depend on both terrestrial and marine ecosystems.
A symbiotic marketplace: Gutless worms swap essential bacterial partners over time
A typical scene at a local farmers market: Various stalls offer fruit, vegetables and much more. Every customer has their favorite stalls, though these may change occasionally. So…
How political, cultural, and economic forces can shape the risk of zoonotic disease
In eastern Ethiopia, pressures like conflict and displacement are changing how people and their camels travel, shifting livestock into new environments and potentially influencing…
Bacteria use collisions to navigate crowded environments, micro-maze experiments reveal
Some bacteria can sense when they bump into each other and use these interactions to shape how the group organizes and moves. This discovery reveals a new way microbes explore the…
Blue light could cut food poisoning from raw chicken
A low-power blue light could be the key to significantly reducing food poisoning caused by raw chicken in the U.K., scientists at the University of Reading have found. Campylobact…
Remaking scents: could fragrance tech help take pressure off endangered plants?
Firms working on reproducing compounds without need for repeated harvesting but conservationists are scepticalMany of the world’s most expensive perfumes begin with a wounded tree…
Africa's rhinos often get the spotlight—but Indonesia's two rhino species are far closer to extinction
Small, hairy and cheekily charismatic. Those words sprang to mind when I first met a Sumatran rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) after traversing the maze of wooden slat paths …
Yosemite's meadows can be restored, but it will take time and effort
Researchers at Colorado State University are leading an attempt to restore Yosemite National Park's iconic meadows before it's too late by reintroducing native plants that once co…
Rising heat linked to faster telomere loss in wild Australian birds
Extreme heat can have a profound impact on wild animals, causing their death in the most extreme cases and leaving less visible marks in others. Understanding the effects of tempe…
Seagrass meadows bounce back with new fish communities
Seagrasses are flowering plants that thrive in marine environments and form extensive meadows along the tropical Queensland coast. New James Cook University research shows the sea…
Nobel prize in physics goes to Francis Halzen for south pole work on neutrinos
Belgian physicist praised for work on the IceCube detector that observes the ghost-like particles in AntarcticaThe Nobel prize in physics 2026 has been awarded to Francis Halzen f…
Nature's capacity to 'bounce back' when species are lost is vastly overestimated, global analysis finds
The idea that ecosystems carry plenty of backup, so if a small number of species become extinct there is little harm, has been greatly overestimated, according to the largest glob…
Narcolepsy: why you’ve been thinking about it all wrong – podcast
The sleep disorder has been the butt of jokes and a comedic plot point, but the reality of living with narcolepsy is anything but funny. Things could be about to change for people…