Biology
US almonds, walnuts and grapes depend on draining groundwater that isn't coming back
Half of the groundwater used to grow America's favorite fruits, nuts, veggies, seeds and greens is drawn from aquifers faster than they can refill, according to a new study. Irrig…
City life leaves subtle genetic traces in Berlin squirrels
Roads, buildings and other infrastructure can restrict the movements of wildlife in cities. As a result, urban wildlife from different areas encounter one another less frequently,…
Forests in Japan shift toward trees adapted to warmer climates
Climate change has caused substantial alterations in forest ecosystems worldwide through changes in temperature and precipitation patterns. A new study from Osaka Metropolitan Uni…
Researchers discover protein that could improve strangles testing in horses
Strangles is one of the most common infectious diseases of horses worldwide, but accurately determining whether a horse has been exposed to the bacterium that causes it can be cha…
The tropics weren't always the most diverse marine environments, study finds
Today, tropical waters typically host a wider range of marine animals than polar waters. This decline in marine biodiversity from the equator toward the North and South poles is k…
Light-controlled tool halts cellular recycling to offer disease mechanism clues
Inside each cell is a dynamic world of molecules and chemicals, signals and receivers, and construction and destruction. With all this activity, it's inevitable that cellular part…
Sunken treasure: Historic US ocean liner reborn as artificial reef
A majestic and all but indestructible 20th-century ocean liner that once ferried royal leaders, movie stars and even the "Mona Lisa" to the United States was being deliberately su…
Baboons made themselves at home in this town, and a battle between their defenders and haters ensued
The divisions over baboons run deep in Simon's Town, where their defenders and haters have clashed on social media and sometimes in real life for years.
Retired ocean liner to become largest artificial reef in the world
Bigger than the RMS Titanic and faster than the RMS Queen Mary, the SS United States was a nautical wonder during the mid-20th century—the nation's premier luxury ocean liner that…
New study maps the genetic landscape of bovine TB across Wales
Bovine tuberculosis is evolving in different ways across different regions in Wales, according to the most detailed analysis of the bacterium conducted to date. One of the most si…
Even parasites have parasites: Fungus infects powdery mildew
In the fungal kingdom, no one is safe from parasites—not even other parasites. A new study from North Carolina State University finds that Ampelomyces, an intracellular fungus tha…
Fluorescent probes reveal fluid-like barriers inside nuclear pores of living human cells
Our genetic material is hidden inside the nucleus of our cells, well protected by a double membrane. All molecules wishing to pass through must thread their way through one of sev…
What lurks 'Below' Newfoundland waters? A marine biologist explains the science behind the show
When I learned that Netflix planned to film the miniseries Below, about a sea monster terrorizing a Newfoundland outport, I thought to myself: "THIS I've gotta see!"
Looping DNA may help flowers grow nectar-producing organs
Nectaries are specialized floral tissues that secrete nectar to attract pollinators. Although the protein CRABS CLAW (CRC) is established as essential for nectary formation, the e…
Scientists find some of the 'very last wild and healthy ecosystems' in the world's oceans untouched by humans
Humans have left their mark on virtually every place on the planet, from the deep sea to the peaks of the highest mountains. But a few very remote atolls in the Pacific Ocean may …
Deep-sea mollusk houses bacteria in tiny 'dragon balls,' revealing a new symbiotic structure
Researchers at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) have discovered a previously unknown specialized organelle structure in a deep-sea mollusk living at cold…
New method maps DNA folding and epigenetic marks in single cells
A new experimental procedure developed by researchers at Yale School of Medicine could help scientists better understand how DNA structure influences disease and development.
When rain finally does come to drylands, only some microbes in the soil 'awaken'
In arid regions, the microbes that power threatened dryland soil ecosystems called biological soil crusts stay dormant over long periods, only "awakening" when they sense moisture…
Biologists reveal chlorophyll-building enzyme's structure for first time and clarify its mechanism
Plants are green because of a pigment that is key to photosynthesis: chlorophyll. In its production, the enzyme chlorophyll synthase plays an important role. As part of an interna…
Scientists challenge the dream of bringing extinct species back to life
Could extinction itself become a thing of the past? Advances in biotechnology, including ancient DNA sequencing, genome analysis and gene editing, have led some to believe that it…
Chip identifies cells by their electrical signature, then separates them with a precisely aimed sound wave
In biomedicine, sorting cells accurately without damaging them remains a persistent problem. Current methods, like fluorescence-activated cell sorting, rely on labeling the cells …
Monkey foot and palm prints differ between individuals, as they do in humans
In three species of monkey, the complex pattern of ridges on the feet and palms varies between individuals, similar to human fingerprints, according to a study published in the op…
Frozen sperm enables embryo development in endangered Japanese bird for first time—but chick fails to hatch
The Okinawa rail (Hypotaenidia okinawae) is an endangered flightless bird endemic to the Yanbaru forest region of Okinawa Island in Japan. The bird has only recently begun recover…
Overheating cattle: More and more dangerous heat is coming for northern Australia's herds
The Sunday roast and the backyard barbecue have long been Australian rituals. The country is one of the world's biggest consumers of red meat. The average Australian ate about 22 …