Biology
Biologists battle over North America's largest crayfish
When Caitlin Bloomer wrestled the massive Crawzilla crawdad—yes, that's its actual common name—out of the muck during a biological survey in Kentucky, she was convinced it was the…
Can this biotech innovation halt the destructive march of a cereal killer?
A UK-led research collaboration has taken a significant step in the global effort to protect cereal crops from the devastating blast fungus. Researchers at the John Innes Centre e…
Gene editing produces soybean with more than 90% oleic acid
Sejong University researchers have developed a high-quality soybean with improved oxidative stability, reduced saturated fat and increased seed fatty acid content. The research te…
Bee-made propolis boosts an antifungal drug against yeast pathogens in lab tests
Propolis may not only inhibit the growth of certain fungi but also affect the activity of drugs used to treat fungal infections. Researchers have investigated how an ethanolic ext…
The Antarctic's only two flowering plants reveal opposing strategies for surviving long-term warming
A team of Chilean and Spanish researchers has published the results of one of the longest-running in-situ warming experiments in maritime Antarctica in the journal Physiologia Pla…
Ancient genome function persists despite frequent mutations, centromere study shows
Every time a cell divides, its chromosomes must be distributed correctly between the two daughter cells. Central to this process is the centromere, a specialized region of the chr…
Palette versus palate: Wine drinkers embrace a spectrum of wine colors
When a glass of red wine arrives at the table, most drinkers make a snap judgment before taking a sip. Is the color deep enough? Does the hue suggest quality or raise a red flag?
Study reveals how biological echo chambers form—and what can break them
Tropical army ants are known to form devastating armadas that march through forests eating other insects and small creatures. As they march, they deposit chemical trails of pherom…
Natural compound from soil bacteria offers new approach to treating drug-resistant tuberculosis
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 10 million people contract tuberculosis (TB) each year. It is one of the deadliest infectious diseases worldwide. Treat…
Soil heterogeneity helps bacteria find nutrients
Microorganisms regulate key processes in soils and aquifers, including nutrient cycling, carbon turnover and contaminant degradation. Many bacteria use chemotaxis, the ability to …
Uncovering gravity's impact on the human genome
The Human Genome Project was launched in 1990, preceded by decades of breakthroughs in genetics. It eventually gave us a sequence of the human genome. Yet, while the physical rule…
Brain organoids uncover how primates develop different brain shapes
Most primate species have relatively large brains with surfaces marked by pronounced bulges and furrows. This is not the case with common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus). The brain…
Kibble with microbial proteins appeals to cats and dogs in new study
In a new study, cats and dogs showed a short-term preference for kibble containing some protein derived from microorganisms over kibble containing only standard animal-derived pro…
A horse named Pea is first to test focused ultrasound treatment of skin tumors called sarcoids
There is no "one-fix-for-all" solution for sarcoids, said Sophie Bogers, an assistant professor of large animal surgery. Many require chemotherapy or invasive surgery. But she wan…
Variations in virus tails may help predict which phages kill more bacterial strains
Bacteriophages—or phages, for short—are viruses that kill bacteria, and scientists have been studying them for decades as a possible solution to antibiotic-resistant infections. B…
Bizarre new dinosaur with giant claws discovered in China
It walked on two legs and may have looked like a feathered bear with giant claws. Meet Kayrasaurus changliensis—well, its almost complete skeleton, to be precise.
Hunting broadly not responsible for birds declining across Europe, study finds
Hunting is not the main reason bird populations are declining across Europe, according to new research from University College Dublin in collaboration with the Spanish research in…
Hairy feet, red eyes: Salish Sea reveals two sea spider species new to science
If you're swimming in the Salish Sea late at night and feel a skittering along your calves, tiny hairy feet tip-tapping their way higher and higher toward your face, don't worry—i…
Bats originated in Europe, rewriting mammals’ family tree, study reveals
Biggest study of its kind provides insights into bats’ evolution – a potential gamechanger for research into treating viruses and cancer in humansIn the northern forests of the Co…
How evolution shaped the human skeleton: Clues from cartilage
Human and chimpanzee genomes are more than 98% identical, and the genes themselves barely differ. The changes that make us human are thought to hide instead in the DNA that contro…
Bat genomes and fossils point to a European origin 65 million years ago
New research from the University of St Andrews has created the largest combined study of bat genomes and fossils ever undertaken, finding that bats most likely originated in Europ…
How social brains allow animal groups to escape danger
Social behavior is found across the tree of life, with animals of all types benefiting from living in a group environment. Large bird flocks and fish schools coordinate their acti…
The dingo debate is heating up. How we manage these animals will determine their future
What should we do about dingoes?
Seabed surveys around the Isles of Scilly find more than 90 species across habitats poorly captured by classifications
Scientists have conducted an unprecedented assessment of the seabed around the Isles of Scilly, revealing complex mosaics of sediment that support a wide range of habitat-building…