Biology
Hitting bacteria hard and early with diverse phage cocktails may curb resistance
As multidrug antibiotic resistance emerges as a potent public health challenge, medical science has renewed attention on the potential for bacteriophage therapy. Bacteriophages, o…
Evolution favors flatter paths when fitness outcomes are equal, study finds
A surprising discovery by Technion researchers sheds new light on the dynamics of evolution. Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the study shows that…
Boosting soybean protein: Zinc and sulfur essential in sustainable crop production
Soybean is a critical element of the global food supply: Between its use for animal feed and human consumption, it accounts for roughly two-thirds of plant-based protein meal outp…
Primed and ready to fight, a nematode pheromone arms plants to battle pathogens
When cold and flu season comes around, we take steps like getting our flu shots and taking immune supplements to strengthen our bodies' defenses against pathogens. Plants face pat…
Specific cover crops may help attract insects that target harmful pests
Different cover crops may affect how plants defend themselves against pests—including by attracting more insects that eat harmful caterpillars—according to a new study led by rese…
AI model designs potentially stable protein sequences beyond those found in nature
A protein's function is determined by its structure, and structure—the way a protein folds—is determined by its sequence of amino acids, the building blocks of proteins.
Heat-tolerant corals may be more vulnerable to disease
Corals that partner with heat-tolerant algae may be better equipped to survive warming oceans—but that resilience comes with an unexpected trade-off, according to a new study from…
Mixture of traditional edible plants inhibits fungus growth in corn, study shows
Fungal contamination in stored grain across sub-Saharan Africa causes major post-harvest losses and severe public health risks, costing billions of dollars annually, according to …
Texas fossil reveals early insects kept aquatic limbs during move onto land
The formation of complex terrestrial ecosystems was a significant innovation in the evolutionary history of life on Earth. This event signified the expansion of life beyond marine…
Parental care can influence evolution, beetle experiments show
How has offspring dependence on parents evolved over the course of evolution? Researchers at the University of Bayreuth, in collaboration with Kyoto University, Japan, have invest…
How bacteria develop resistance to programmable antibiotics
Antimicrobial resistance is one of the greatest challenges facing modern medicine. A new class of programmable antibiotics known as asobiotics can be used to treat bacterial infec…
Study on biodiversity conservation in agriculture and forestry: High motivation, few options
Farmers and foresters manage around 80% of Germany's land area. They are therefore key agents of change in protecting biodiversity—and are often accused of not doing enough to pro…
Candida fungi can burst immune cells and shape-shift to evade immunity
Candida auris and Candida albicans are microscopic fungi that cause life-threatening human infections, killing almost a million people globally every year. The World Health Organi…
Researchers reveal the unique 'tagging' mechanism that guides the sleeping brain in remembering key thoughts
Why do we remember certain moments while forgetting others? Every day, our minds are bombarded with thousands of pieces of information, yet our brains have a limited capacity to c…
XY or ZW? Gecko chromosomes reveal evolution's hidden playbook
Why do humans rely on XY chromosomes to determine sex, while birds use ZW—and many reptiles use neither, letting temperature decide instead? Sex determination is remarkably divers…
Exploring how bumble bee queens coordinate chemical signals
New research by SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly) Assistant Professor of Biology Dr. Margarita Orlova is providing new insight into how bumblebee queens communicate through c…
The wisdom of the egg cell: Oocyte epigenetic mark may help prevent excessive placental growth after fertilization
The genome—which contains genes encoded in DNA—acts as the fundamental blueprint of life. But what you might not know is that, in addition to this genetic information, we have som…
Parasitic plants act like genetic engineers by stealing and remodeling useful genes
Many plant species parasitize other plants by latching on and taking the nutrients their hosts need to survive. But sometimes, plants steal more than nutrients; they take genes.
Tiny transmitters could unlock monarch migration mysteries in Florida
Every spring, many monarch butterflies drift back into Florida on orange-and-black wings that have captivated scientists for generations. They arrive quietly, fluttering through f…
Emperor penguin colonies reveal decades-long resilience and flexible breeding sites
With their charming waddles, heat-conserving huddles and tuxedo-like plumage, emperor penguins are among the world's most recognizable animals. Recent satellite surveys estimate t…
Everyone hates datacentres. Do we really need them? - video
AI companies have promised us world-shifting technology. But there’s a cost: loud, unsightly datacentres that drain environmental resources. As the government pushes their rapid g…
Degraded DNA reveals two extinct Galapagos giant tortoise lineages
Using a new combination of computational tools to analyze ancient DNA, Yale researchers have discovered two ancient, extinct giant tortoise lineages that once lived on the Galapag…
AI helps uncover oyster DNA changes linked to climate resilience
While a colleague traveled along the East Coast from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico collecting oysters, Northeastern University bioinformatics graduate student Megha Prasad worked a…
Tomatoes get flavor boost from green bin compost
Commercially farmed tomatoes taste sweeter when food and garden waste compost is added to their soil, a University of Queensland study has found. Researchers in the School of Agri…