Biology
Loophole listing keeps seafood qualifying as critically endangered on the menu
One of Australia's most dangerously overfished species, redfish (Centroberyx affinis), will continue to be served on our dinner tables following its latest listing as "conservatio…
Researchers develop sensors for continuous corn growth monitoring
When is the best time to apply nitrogen? What plant response was there to fertilizer or any number of other treatments? There is a general answer to those questions now, but what …
Lab-grown neurons retain features of embryonic development
Scientists from Skoltech, together with colleagues from the Kharkevich Institute for Information Transmission Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Lomonosov Moscow State U…
Shared data ecosystem could help scientists explore new biological connections
Scientists generate vast amounts of research data, but connecting information across studies can be difficult. The NIH Common Fund Data Ecosystem is working to change that by maki…
Study maps Nelore cattle microbiota to reduce methane emissions
Researchers at the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA) are studying the relationship between the genetics of Nelore cattle and the microorganisms in their guts (…
How the nasal microbiome can help potentially harmful bacteria thrive
Our noses are home to many different species of bacteria living side by side. One of them may be S. aureus. Many people carry this bacterium without knowing it, although it can ca…
Tiny fossils show brittle stars gathered around a dead whale 9.5 million years ago
Tiny skeletal plates recovered beside fossil whale bones in southern Denmark offer a rare glimpse of life around a whale carcass approximately 9.5 million years ago. Researchers h…
New framework helps turn biodiversity goals into measurable action
The new study by Newcastle University and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) offers a practical roadmap for tracking progress toward halting species extinct…
Body size, not competition, may kick-start evolution
A new evolutionary theory suggests changes in body size, rather than competition for food and habitat, may drive the earliest physical differences between species.
How humans influence fish behavior and why this is important for species conservation
Two recent review articles in the journals Trends in Ecology & Evolution and Fish and Fisheries, to which researchers from the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland F…
Nasa astronaut casts midterms vote from space – video
Anil Menon has voted in the US midterm elections by casting an electronic ballot from the International Space Station. He said he filled out the ballot on his station computer and…
Single-copy genes can be used as markers to distinguish between bacteria in the same family
The more than 100 bacterial species of the genus Vibrio are important in marine ecosystems because they contribute to the carbon cycle and other ecological processes, but they can…
Researchers develop method for single-cell DNA methylation analysis
Researchers have recently developed a standardized workflow for analyzing DNA methylation in individual cells. The protocol combines an improved laboratory procedure with an autom…
Cold storage can extend shelf life of platelets for dogs facing life-threatening bleeding
Veterinarians often have limited access to one of the most effective tools for controlling life-threatening bleeding complications in dogs: platelets.
Wherever there are people, there is also wildlife—though not necessarily at the same time
Human-induced global change has reached an unprecedented scale and intensity. Through intensive land use and the associated loss of species, humans are permanently altering the ha…
Nasa telescope launched in 2004 to plunge back to Earth after failed rescue mission
Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory is expected to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere Wednesday, burning up in the processNasa’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, which has spent two decades st…
Silent lakes ahead? Long-term study finds common loon productivity is dropping across North America
The eerie call of the common loon has long been the sound of North America's northern lakes, but new research shows it may not be that way in the future. A new study led by Birds …
Microbiome research reveals how bacterial lipids influence liver and muscle health in mice
An interdisciplinary team of researchers from UConn and the University of Pittsburgh is filling knowledge gaps about the surprising roles that our microbiomes play in our health. …
Silk microneedles offer new way to deliver vaccines to farmed fish
Fish that are cultivated in pools or ponds are an increasingly important source of food around the world. Unfortunately, disease outbreaks can cause substantial losses in aquacult…
Pregnant mandrill monkeys are more likely to miscarry when also nursing an infant
Female mandrills are more likely to experience pregnancy loss when they are simultaneously nursing an infant, which may reflect a physiological trade-off between current and futur…
Scientists revive decades-old approach to target cancer-linked genes using synthetic DNA
Researchers have developed a new approach that uses synthetic DNA molecules to target cancer-linked genes directly, opening new possibilities for future treatments, diagnostics an…
'Double mutualist' birds are key to mistletoe reproduction
Some bird species act as "double mutualists" for a common mistletoe, both pollinating its flowers and dispersing its seeds. These double mutualists play an effective role in mistl…
Tell this AI what you want a protein to do—and it designs one
In a short space of time, artificial intelligence has become a whiz at designing proteins, molecular machines that perform various functions such as speeding up reactions, produci…
Plants' immune memory hints at new crop breeding approach
A study published in Nature Communications, led by professor Jurriaan Ton and Dr. Adam Hannan Parker at the University of Sheffield, has identified mechanisms by which plants main…