Biology
Like humans, some primates become cautious of germs in the wake of a viral outbreak
In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, many households wiped down groceries with disinfectant before putting them away. Hand sanitizer was in short supply. With little inform…
Caribbean islands were once the center of diversity for barn owls
Legend has it that a giant elfin, owl-like creature called the chickcharney haunts the islands of the Bahamas. Those who encounter this cryptid on cordial terms are said to be ble…
Northern Australia is a 'lifeboat' for critically endangered green sawfish
Green sawfish, distinguished by their long, sharklike bodies and tooth-lined "saw" on the front of their heads, are on the verge of extinction, largely due to overfishing and habi…
Male seahorse pouch proteins may help remove toxic waste from developing embryos
Male seahorses, fishes that belong to the Syngnathidae family, show a distinctive reproductive strategy in which males carry developing embryos in a brood pouch. Their most distin…
Feral—and threatened? Endangered camels, banteng and hog deer have found an unexpected refuge in Australia
Millions of large feral animals roam Australia. Pigs, camels, deer, horses, water buffalo, cattle and goats were introduced deliberately as transport, livestock or to hunt. Many h…
Over 60% of Connecticut horses exposed to Leptospira bacteria, study finds
Leptospirosis is a neglected zoonotic disease caused by pathogenic Leptospira bacteria and can affect humans and animals, including horses.
A century of records paints a worrying picture for Europe's bees
In most parts of Europe, bees have become less widespread during the last 100 years, according to a new study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Scien…
Unraveling DNA repair: How cells protect their genetic blueprint
Every cell in the human body faces a chronic challenge: protecting its DNA. Whenever cells divide, their genetic material must be copied accurately. But DNA is continuously under …
'Raman barcodes' distinguish 20 SARS-CoV-2 variants by their RNA architecture
A research team led by distinguished professor Giuseppe Pezzotti at the Biomedical Engineering Center, Kansai Medical University (Japan), has demonstrated that differences in the …
Mayer Hillman obituary
Pioneer of ideas about the climate crisis and road safety, and a champion of walking, cycling and children’s mobilityIn the late 1990s, the social scientist and author Mayer Hillm…
Eighteen years of whale call research reveals key habitat of mysterious species
In a boost for the conservation of one of the world's most elusive and least-understood whale species, researchers analyzing more than 18 years of underwater acoustic recordings c…
The road to discovery: DNA in the air maps biodiversity
Curtin University researchers have detected traces of hundreds of plants and animals by collecting DNA from the air as they drove more than 1,100km (684 miles) across Western Aust…
Scientists discover a promising blood sugar–regulating compound in red alga
It is a dietary staple found in sushi, rice wraps and ramen toppings. Commonly known as nori in Japan and gim in Korea, red seaweed is especially popular across Asia. Yet, despite…
Human activity threatens biodiversity in remote Patagonian kelp forests
Marine scientists have conducted the first re-survey of northern Patagonia's kelp forests in more than 50 years and discovered dramatic changes across one of the world's most remo…
Could wood provide a better home for oil-degrading microbes?
According to a study conducted by researchers at Sultan Qaboos University, the material used to support microbial biofilms could influence their potential role in treating water g…
Octopus and cuttlefish suckers may have evolved by repurposing ancient developmental genes
Cephalopods, like the octopus, have specialized arms and suckers, but how these structures evolved from the simple bodies of their mollusk ancestors remains a mystery. Researchers…
Researchers explore the valuable connection between birds, memory and territory in Chile
Black-necked swans, spot-flanked gallinules, southern lapwings, austral thrushes and dozens of other bird species fly across the Río Cruces Wetland, carrying the biocultural memor…
Added receptor helps CAR T cells stay in bone marrow in cancer mouse models
By turning a patient's own immune cells into stronger cancer-fighting cells, CAR T-cell therapy has transformed how some blood cancers are treated. But it's been harder to extend …
Keeping jumping genes in place: New role for protein complex discovered
As much as half of the human genome is composed of so-called "jumping genes." These DNA sequences can make copies of themselves that are inserted back into the genome at another l…
‘These risks are real’: the threat of AI bioweapons - video
In his annual speech on threats to the nation, Sir Ken McCallum, the head of the UK’s intelligence service, MI5, warned that AI had the potential to ‘change the stakes’ on existin…
Measuring regrowth: Erk gradients guide zebrafish fins back to their original size after injury
In a new Nature Physics study, researchers found that fin regrowth in zebrafish is driven by a brief burst of growth signal at the fin tip, sized to the amount lost, which sets up…
Marine life dramatically declined in Gulf of Mexico in years after BP oil spill, study finds
In a deep, dark part of the Gulf of Mexico, the number of marine animals plummeted by about 60% in the years following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion, a new study found.
‘These risks are real’: the threat of AI bioweapons – podcast
In his annual speech on threats to the nation, Sir Ken McCallum, the head of the UK’s intelligence service, MI5, warned that AI had the potential to ‘change the stakes’ on existin…
Juvenile striped bass maintaining average abundance in Virginia waters in 2026
Preliminary results from an ongoing long-term survey conducted by William & Mary's Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) suggest that an average year class of young-of-year …