Biology
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…
Vitamin B1 gains in wild lake trout embryos challenge assumptions drawn from hatcheries
For decades, fisheries managers have struggled to restore recruitment in wild lake trout populations across the Great Lakes region, with limited success. Returning this species to…
Unusual senses: The secret superpowers of amphibians and reptiles
The Surinam toad is one of the strangest frogs on Earth. Flat-bodied, tiny-eyed and adapted to the murky waters of the Amazon basin, it hunts well despite having very poor vision.…
What a locust can teach us about how neuromodulators alter odor processing
When you walk into a bakery and smell fresh cookies, the enticing smell draws you in. After you eat a handful of cookies, though, the same smell likely doesn't send you back for m…
Rhinos and elephants can cause huge problems if reintroduced badly—here's how to get it right
Moving large animals around is a seductive idea in conservation. If there are plenty of animals in one place and too few in another, moving some between the two seems an obvious s…
Rare insect discovery reveals a new species from the dinosaur age
Some 99 million years ago, during the age of the dinosaurs, a tiny insect belonging to a species previously unknown to science became trapped in tree resin. The resin hardened and…
Standard 3D printers let labs build and adapt tools for bacterial research
Studying microorganisms requires instruments with extremely high precision. Such instruments are expensive and take a long time to manufacture using traditional methods, which has…
Unmowed strips attract insects, but many abandon partially mowed dikes
Municipalities are increasingly mowing dikes and verges in stages, so that insects can make longer use of the plants growing there. Mowing is essential to keep a dike strong, expl…
Florida Keys heat wave reveals nearly fourfold death risk for diseased coral
Disease and heat pose a deadly combination for coral reefs, according to a new University of Georgia study published in the journal Coral Reefs.
Local tipping points in dune landscapes: How does a dune system organize itself?
Building with nature is an important concept in our coastal defense. After all, by harnessing natural processes, we are more resilient to sea level rise. A good understanding of t…
New saber-toothed predator from Argentina suggests its lineage survived longer than believed
In 2014, members of a local museum found fragments of an ancient fossil dating to the end of the Pliocene or early Pleistocene epoch in a seaside cliff on the Argentine pampas. Th…
Nobel prize in medicine 2026: unlocking the mysteries of the brain
Kicking off the 2026 Nobel prizes in is the award for physiology or medicine. This year the prize went to three scientists for their work investigating the mysteries of the brain.…
Sharks' inner ears reveal surprising diversity that may reflect evolution more than environment
A new study of shark anatomy suggests the shape of their inner ears is far more variable than expected, and this variation could have more to do with their evolutionary history th…
Why can't people regenerate limbs like salamanders?
Imagine losing an arm and simply growing a new one. This amazing ability of regeneration isn't just something from a superhero movie—it actually happens in real life for some anim…
Pollen study reveals the hidden history of grasses
Scientists used machine learning and super-resolution microscopy to overcome a challenge that has stymied research into the natural history of grasses for decades. Their method al…
Lipid signals help cells seal the damage from bacterial attacks, researchers discover
Epithelial cells form the body's frontline barriers, helping keep microbes, toxins and other harmful substances out. Yet these protective cells are constantly exposed to threats, …
Resource scarcity influences maternal brain activity and caregiving in rats
When mothers do not have the necessary resources to raise their children, this adversity causes substantial stress that can hinder caregiving and lead to postpartum depression. In…
Farmer-macaque conflict in Algeria poses a complicated conservation challenge
One of the hardest challenges in wildlife conservation arises when the habitat of a species in need of protection overlaps with land used by humans. Wolves and bears can kill live…
Bumblebees carry bacteria-killing viruses to cherry blossoms, reducing bacterial populations in experiments
As they fly about their usual business of pollinating flowers, bumblebees could help protect fruit trees from disease by carrying a natural treatment directly to where it is neede…
Tortoises win support, hyenas face doubts in survey on adding exotic wildlife to UK parks
Zebras grazing in a UK park might sound like the stuff of a high-budget Hollywood blockbuster, but new research suggests it could one day be vital in the fight against climate cha…
How rotting food in the kitchen and a whiff of vinegar led to a 'happy' agricultural accident
Rutgers scientists have identified natural repellents against an invasive blueberry pest, a discovery made accidentally when fruit flies invaded their laboratory.
Extinct bovine species discovered in Siberia reveals lost relative of yaks
DNA analyses of ancient remains have revealed a previously unknown extinct bovine species that inhabited southern Siberia during and even before the last ice age. The extinct spec…
Decades of data reveal major ecological shift in northern Baltic Sea
For decades, scientists have regarded phosphorus as the main nutrient limiting biological production in the Gulf of Bothnia. Now, a new study led by researchers at Umeå University…
Precision IVF tracks how mouse embryos switch on their genome
A new study from EMBL Rome shows how embryos precisely coordinate gene activity during early development. The research is published in the journal Science Advances.