Biology
RAB1 proteins help recruit membrane-building vesicles to mitochondria during mitochondria-selective autophagy
The Intracellular Quality Control Project at the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science has identified a molecular mechanism that helps initiate the formation of autophag…
Python removal index identifies large females as key targets for limiting population growth
When it comes to removing Burmese pythons, one snake does not equal another. A new study by researchers at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (U…
Desert alga reveals how fast growth and resistance to extreme conditions can coexist
A single-celled green alga from the sand dunes of the Negev Desert has, within just a few years, become a key model organism in modern photosynthesis research. Chlorella ohadii he…
Viral enzyme cuts bacterial sensor protein, triggering defense against invading phages
In the fight to find better treatments for bacterial infections, one rapidly evolving therapy uses a group of viruses called bacteriophages (phages). Phages can attack and kill da…
Precisely patterned molecular threads boost neuron growth and synapse formation in cell cultures
Northwestern University scientists have developed remarkably long, precisely patterned molecular threads that could open new possibilities for designing advanced materials. The sc…
Growth in milk boosts Staph bacteria's resistance to antibiotics, experiments reveal
Staphylococcus aureus is frequently found in human and veterinary infections. It is named for the golden-yellow pigment it produces, which contributes to its virulence and protect…
Sea change: WildFin aims to improve fish behavior analysis in the wild
In the first year of her doctoral research, Abigail Grassick collected hours of underwater video as she studied fish communities living on bommies—individual clumps of coral—on th…
Largest-ever jaguar analysis identifies how populations are connected across the Americas
An international team of researchers has produced the most comprehensive assessment to date of connectivity across the jaguar's range, identifying key habitats and movement corrid…
SpaceX launches crew to ISS successfully: ‘Thanks for an amazing ride’
Jessica Watkins, the first Black woman to lead a crew to orbit, is making her second trip to the space stationFour astronauts rocketed into orbit on Thursday on a space station mi…
Urban environments may be the ultimate training grounds for invasive species
As cities grow and urban sprawl expands, could these changing landscapes be giving invasive species a competitive edge? Scientists at the University of Florida Institute of Food a…
Sex-like DNA exchange in starving bacteria occurs over 100 times more often than spontaneous mutations
How do bacteria adapt when resources run low? ISTA researchers have found that, under starvation stress, E. coli can use bacteriophages and CRISPR-Cas immunity to transfer and inc…
Chimps plunder less pineapple from friends—and expect them to do the same
In recent years, scientists have shown that chimpanzees favor certain peers by picking whom they prefer to groom and selectively sharing food. The behavior offers a glimpse into h…
Underlying causes of recurrent bacterial vaginosis identified by Australian scientists
Melbourne researchers behind previous BV transmission breakthrough turn attention to understanding why some cases are harder to cure Australian scientists have identified two cont…
Catalog of mitochondria across life's family tree unearths unusual functions
A research consortium has generated the broadest look yet at the proteins that make up mitochondria, capturing the organelle's diversity across multiple branches on the tree of co…
Eye-eating amoeba resists treatment—understanding its biochemistry could help
In water, soil and air all around us lives a free-living, single-celled organism called Acanthamoeba. Most of the time, Acanthamoeba keeps to itself. On rare occasions, though, th…
Chameleon embryos reveal early developmental feature once thought unique to mammals
Before most women know they're pregnant, an embryo has already begun organizing itself into the structures that will shape a developing body. Scientists have few opportunities to …
I went to America’s largest gathering of astrologers. It was a battle over how to read the stars
Now a $15bn industry, astrology is more mainstream in the US than ever. But its practitioners are still debating: who gets to have authority on the celestial bodies?“The dwarf pla…
Rice work: Dutch test new crop to save sinking peatlands
In a soggy field between Amsterdam and The Hague, farmer Sander Roeleveld plows a small white combine harvester into his crops, gathering a grain never before harvested in the Net…
Thursday briefing: The long, long wait for a male contraceptive pill may soon be over
In today’s newsletter: Reversible male hormonal contraception could reach the market within five to 10 years. But why has this development been so slow?Good morning. Since the fir…
The incredible science of memory manipulation – podcast
Madeleine Finlay hears from Steve Ramirez, an associate professor of psychological and brain sciences at Boston University, whose book How to Change a Memory was shortlisted for t…
Even high-altitude forests in Switzerland are now weakened by frequent droughts, making natural hazards more dangerous
Due to global warming, Swiss forests are now at a tipping point where summer droughts are overwhelming trees' tolerance and resilience, scientists have shown. That bodes ill for p…
Wildlife tracking to fill gaps in monarch migration research
Every fall, monarch butterflies fuel up on nectar from Iowa's fall-blooming wildflowers before embarking on an extraordinary migration from North America to Mexico. But the pathwa…
Bacteria can make plant-based foods healthier for humans and animals
New research from the DTU National Food Institute and Aarhus University shows that microorganisms can be used to specifically alter the amino acid composition of plant-based foods…
Scientists develop 'floating scarecrow' to protect threatened seabirds
New research has shown that a "floating scarecrow" developed by U.K.-based scientists and a repurposed bird-scaring kite can help save threatened seabirds from getting caught in f…