Biology
Spacecraft returns to Earth after rescue mission for ageing Nasa telescope fails
Series of in-flight problems meant Link, a ‘commercial space robot’, could not salvage the Nasa observatoryA spacecraft that was launched in July on a mission to rescue a decaying…
Researchers track emerging pathogens at Arctic bird gathering
Every year, birds migrate north and gather in a single location in the Arctic, and a team of University of Kentucky researchers is collaborating with Alaska Native communities to …
African elephants and medicinal plants: Possible self-medication documented through local ecological knowledge
Wild African elephants living in the Mount Elgon region of Kenya appear to seek out specific plants when unwell. Local experts also reported mothers administering plant-based "med…
3D images reveal how bacterial cells coordinate protein production and transport across the membrane
Scientists have often thought of cells as small, bustling cities with parts that resemble factories, power grids and shipping systems. While past research has illuminated the indi…
Age, not feed additives, affects antimicrobial resistance genes in chickens
For many years, antibiotics have been added to animal feed to help control harmful bacteria and improve growth. But amid concerns about antibiotic resistance—when bacteria adapt t…
What we evaluate, not just what we see, shapes pupil responses
Our pupils become smaller under brighter conditions and larger under darker conditions. In addition to responding to changes in light, pupil size is influenced by attention, emoti…
New type of human 'jumping gene' found in a poxvirus
Scientists at Cornell University have found a human genetic element in a poxvirus and discovered that it is both an important gene for brain function and a jumping gene capable of…
Curious kids: Does music affect how plants grow?
"How does the type of music affect plant growth?"—Thomas, 14, Auckland, New Zealand
Are girls more social from birth? - video
Madeleine Finlay sits down with her co-host and Guardian science editor, Ian Sample, to discuss three science stories from the week, including a study that offers a clue in the ag…
High-tech canopy maps reveal how tropical birds use Amazon forests
Tropical forests may look like a uniform sea of green from above, but new research shows that carefully measured differences in forest structure and function can help explain how …
New tool closes gap in harnessing untapped potential of phages
A new tool to mutate bacteriophages—viruses that infect bacteria—provides a "big leap" forward in our understanding of how they function and our ability to harness their full pote…
Bacteria suspected in deaths of hundreds of baby whales off Argentina
A bacterial infection is suspected of killing hundreds of baby whales in the southern Argentine region of Patagonia, a marine mammal expert told AFP on Thursday.
Tracking the movement of plants
The flora of the Alps is changing: Species are moving to higher elevations, new plants are appearing and others are disappearing.
Elastic fantastic: The deadly fluid of pitcher plants
In the world of carnivorous plants, Venus flytraps—with their showy, snapping reflexes—have long hogged the limelight. But plants have many creative bug-capture strategies, from s…
Q&A: Grasslands in more diverse landscapes can suffer less from drought
During the heat wave of 2018, meadows and pastures also suffered from drought. Are grasslands in diverse landscapes more resilient to yield losses than those in monotonous regions…
Biodiversity in production forests: Both costs and benefits shape the financial picture
Forests provide timber as well as many other ecosystem services. An important question is how measures to conserve biodiversity affect the profitability of forest operations focus…
Ningaloo Reef corals reveal early fall spawning window for two key species
Curtin University scientists have uncovered an important missing piece in the puzzle of how some coral reefs can recover from climate events, providing information that could help…
New findings explain how cells assemble machinery to repair damaged DNA
A cell's ability to repair its damaged DNA is one of the most fundamental processes in biology, helping protect us from diseases like cancer. Over the years, researchers have unra…
AI-guided mutations help viruses infect bacteria up to 1 million times more effectively
Biochemists at the University of Wisconsin–Madison are using AI to tackle one of modern medicine's most pressing challenges: the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections.…
First known case of Marfan syndrome discovered in feline siblings
Researchers at the College of Veterinary Medicine and the Baker Institute of Animal Health have published the first molecular characterization of Marfan syndrome in domestic cats …
Shared blueprint in aphid proteins helps AI predict their structures
Tiny insects called aphids inject hundreds of mysterious proteins into plants, hijacking the plants' own genomes to build galls: structures made of plant tissue but constructed to…
On ancient Madagascar, large native herbivores paid the price as introduced livestock spread
New analyses of ancient cattle, sheep and goat bones on Madagascar suggest the rapid spread of introduced livestock on the island 1,200 years ago coincided with forest loss and po…
Machine learning helps identify chemicals that repel honey bees from pesticides
In a win for pollinator conservation, researchers at the University of California, Riverside, have developed a machine learning-based method to identify chemical compounds that ca…
Gut bacteria-derived metabolite extends the lifespan of fruit flies
Gut microbiota influence multiple aspects of host physiology, including metabolic and immune functions. Many metabolites produced by gut bacteria can cross the intestinal epitheli…