Biology
Newly identified metabolic pathway helps explain how cold extends lifespan
Moderately cold temperatures have proven to effectively extend lifespan and delay age-related decline in animals. However, how cold temperatures trigger these beneficial effects a…
Scientists reveal how deadly Andes hantavirus attaches to human cells
Earlier this year, an outbreak of Andes hantavirus on a cruise ship, which killed three passengers and sickened 13, highlighted the lack of approved vaccines or treatments for the…
How many insects are there—and why do we need them?
There are an estimated 10 quintillion insects alive on Earth at any given time. That's 10,000,000,000,000,000,000 individual insects. But how many species are there, why do we nee…
Bering Sea heat wave linked to a surprising boom in the number of hybrid crabs
Marine heat waves are usually seen as destructive events that can disrupt entire ocean ecosystems and trigger massive environmental damage. In 2018 and 2019, an extreme heat wave …
Kissing bugs can spread potentially fatal Chagas disease when dogs eat them
In the southern United States and across Latin America, kissing bugs can bite people and pets both outdoors and when they enter homes. While not every kissing bug carries disease,…
More than a million mice used in Australian research annually, ‘overdue’ study finds
Advocates say having national data about numbers of rats and mice used in research can help boost public trust in scienceGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcas…
Giant Jurassic fossil sheds light on the evolution of a six-legged predator
Insects belong to a broader group of six-legged animals called hexapods. This group also includes other less well-known, small animals, including diplurans or two-pronged bristlet…
Beyond infections, bacteria reveal promise for making medicines and protecting crops
Bacteria get a bad reputation—with all the outbreaks, infections and deaths.
Australia urged to put biodiversity at the heart of planning as global targets slip out of reach
The world is falling short of its biodiversity commitments because nature is still treated as an afterthought in decisions about housing, infrastructure, agriculture, energy, mini…
The ocean's most abundant 'loner' microbe has a sticky second life
The oxygen in about every other breath we take comes from microscopic cells—phytoplankton—drifting in the surface of the ocean. Among them is Prochlorococcus, the smallest and mos…
Genomes of 20 eastern Finnish species provide unique insights into species' adaptations to local conditions
In recent years, researchers at the University of Eastern Finland have been both leading and contributing to collaborative genome projects. These efforts have produced reference-q…
South Korea launches new bid to guide crowd-pulling shark to sea
South Korean authorities began a new attempt Wednesday to coax a shark-turned-viral sensation back to sea, with falling temperatures in the Busan canal where it is stranded raisin…
Prized wild pepper at risk in Madagascar's shrinking forests
A rare wild pepper endemic to Madagascar and prized by international chefs is facing an uncertain future, a victim of its own success and the destruction of its forest habitat.
More current with less calcium: Computational models help solve longstanding ion channel evolution mystery
In the early 1980s, scientists observed an anomaly. Embedded within cell membranes, they identified ion channels with extraordinarily high conductance. These so-called "BK" (Big K…
Transparent minispheres reveal that some look-alike cancer drugs part ways in 3D
Researchers at Uppsala University have adapted Cell Painting, a widely used imaging method in drug discovery, to look at individual cells inside small 3D clusters of cancer cells.…
Targeting a particular gene may improve tea plants' flavor and cold tolerance
Research in New Phytologist reveals a gene that regulates tea plants' flavor and cold tolerance, providing insights on how to expand the potential for better-tasting tea to be gro…
The humble one-celled alga that helped scientists win the Nobel prize
Chlamydomonas and its light-sensing protein help show how memories, feelings and behaviour form in our brainsA tiny alga has helped show how memories, feelings and behaviour form …
Mystery of Roman sarcophagus unearthed at Westminster Abbey solved at last, expert says
Archaeologist says skeleton inside coffin inscribed to Valerius Amandinus is likely to be remains of 11th-century abbotIt has all the ingredients of a chilling mystery: the skelet…
Guatemala gains its first endemic bird in American Ornithological Society's 67th supplement
The 67th Supplement to the American Ornithological Society's (AOS's) Check-list of North American Birds, which was published today in Ornithology, includes several significant upd…
Women farmers need better financing to benefit from AI
Public and private investments must address the financial barriers preventing women from benefiting fully from digital technologies and artificial intelligence as multiple global …
Major repairs needed to save Horseshoe Bay Lagoon
Volunteer researcher Chris Hopper, JCU's adjunct professor Eric Wolanski and independent researcher Natalie K. Dowling examined the impact of saltwater and erosion on Horseshoe Ba…
Researchers study how AI could improve weed management
Advances in weed management technology could reduce reliance on herbicides and manual labor, but a new review from the University of Mississippi and Cornell University indicates t…
Shipwrecks can become thriving reefs, but may contain hidden toxic time bombs
Late last year, scientists in Germany published findings on a World War II munitions dump in the Baltic Sea. Some may dismiss the dump as hazardous waste, but to marine biologists…
Bad apple effect: study shows how people are influenced by rule-breaking of others
Research shows how seeing bigger violations by others can lead people to increase their own rule-breakingFrom politicians taking bribes to bullying and harassment in City firms, l…