Biology
Optimizing tomato plant growth with microbes
Plants are home to a diverse array of microorganisms that support their growth and help them adapt to environmental stress—of which there has been an abundance lately. High temper…
Not all eggs are the same—uncovering a tropical parasite's secret weapons
A team of scientists from the Faculty of Science at Charles University has achieved a major breakthrough in research into schistosomiasis, a serious tropical disease affecting mor…
The future of malaria control is … more mosquitoes?
South Africa's malaria elimination teams could soon have backup from millions of decoy mosquitoes specially bred at Africa's first mosquito factory. These insects are part of Sout…
Quebec wildfire smoke left forest moths with deformed wings, research finds
Over the course of the summer of 2023, Quebec experienced its worst wildfire season on record. By its end, some 4.5 million hectares (11.1 million acres) of the province's boreal …
Star-fingered toads use fingertip lobules to detect prey in murky water
Surinam toads (Pipa pipa) are strange, flat frogs with minuscule eyes that live in the murky waters of the Amazon basin and carry their eggs on their backs. The way they catch pre…
Study reveals another reason to save the world's trees
All over the world, from Oregon's old-growth forests to Queensland's eucalyptus groves, creatures depend on trees for shelter. A new analysis from the University of Illinois Urban…
Why should we care if there aren't any squished insects on our windshield?
This summer, you may have wondered why you are seeing so few insects squished on your car's windshield compared with a road trip several years ago.
Heat waves inhibit antibiotic resistance in soils, but at a price
Extreme heat waves disrupt life in soil. Soil bacteria that produce and resist antibiotics switch into survival mode, temporarily reducing the number of resistance genes. At the s…
Arthropods inspire interdisciplinary solutions to global challenges, initiative shows
Arthropods are small, but they could play an outsized role in tackling some of the world's biggest challenges.
World's most endangered tigers born in Greece as zoos build a safety net
The world's most endangered tigers have started a family in Greece, offering hope for a predator rapidly vanishing from the wild.
Are rich people really worse behaved? Here’s the science – video
Who’s more likely to steal sweets from a child? According to science, it’s the rich. A study seemingly confirming our suspicions about the moral behaviour of the wealthy was one o…
Pumping antibiotics out: A new route to bacterial drug resistance
Bacteria can survive antibiotics in several ways, including by pumping the drugs out of their cells before they can take effect. Researchers at the University of Osaka have discov…
Sea ice creates hidden highways for young Antarctic krill
New research shows that larval Antarctic krill could be carried far from their birthplace by drifting sea ice, linking distant ecosystems in ways conventional models may miss.
Plateau pikas, long considered pests, can help livestock eat well
Small mammals called plateau pikas are often treated as pests because they compete with livestock for food, but research from China shows they can improve the quality of vegetatio…
Distracted dog walkers may be putting wildlife and livestock at risk, study finds
Dog walkers distracted by their phones, conversations or other demands can fail to notice their pets defecating, disturbing wildlife or approaching livestock, according to new res…
New research: We're not protecting our oceans as well as we think
Not so long ago, we thought the ocean was an inexhaustible resource. There would always be plenty more fish in the sea.
Super-resolution imaging reveals details inside living cells
A new fluorescence microscopy technique that generates super-resolution images from a single camera exposure could help researchers study rapid movements within cells that are dif…
Working with anglers to save England's sharks
I spent six days on a small fishing boat in the middle of the English Channel in July trying to catch a thresher shark. The weather was fickle, even at the height of summer. My co…
Can what we feed farm animals directly benefit our own health?
Several chronic diseases—obesity, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers—have been linked to lifestyles and diets high in calories, based on processed foods and …
How meteorologists helped recreate one of history’s most important weather forecasts
Experts helped guide weather scenes in Pressure – a film depicting dramatic buildup to 1944’s D-day landingsDressed in a Royal Air Force uniform and sporting a trim moustache, And…
Vaccinating dogs, not people, holds key to ending rabies deaths in Kerala, India
A new study has found that expanding dog vaccination, rather than introducing routine pre-exposure vaccination for children, is the most effective and cost-effective way to elimin…
More than $1 million in elephant ivory advertised online in Australia
While most Australians assume the ivory trade ended decades ago, Adelaide University research has found an active collectors' market exists online, with most listings showing no p…
Super-resolution imaging reveals that cohesin prevents local mixing of compact, active genome domains
The human genome is about two meters (6.6 feet) long, yet it is folded inside a cell nucleus only about 10 micrometers in diameter. To fit into this tiny space, DNA is wrapped aro…
Worm's radical transformation shows metamorphosis can change the functions of cells
A squishy worm that starts its life as something of a floating head in the Pacific Ocean is changing what scientists know about metamorphosis at the cellular level.