Biology
From wild to mild: Friendly foxes show changes in brain region
Scientists studying the neurology of tame foxes identified changes in a part of the brain that has previously been associated with aggression, according to a new paper that compar…
RNA-protein interactions could lead to new coronavirus drug targets
A study co-led by a University of California, Riverside, biomedical scientist has identified new targets for coronavirus antiviral drugs, including treatments that may be less vul…
Blood chemistry reveals why some animals bleed blue, green or purple
Whether it's gushing from a bumped nose or pooling atop a pricked finger, our blood is some hue of red. But red-bloodedness isn't universal in the animal kingdom. In some creature…
Predicting jumping genes' roles in changing genome size
A genome contains all of the DNA of every living organism, but its contents don't stop there—most of these structures also contain snippets of DNA that can copy and paste themselv…
Dinosaur blood—oldest discovery rewrites what fossils can reveal about the past
An international research team led by Curtin University has for the first time uncovered unequivocal evidence of fossilized red blood cells and amino acids of collagen, reshaping …
Zombies are real—just ask the parasites taking over the bodies and brains of insects and rodents
Zombies have taken many forms in popular culture. In Michael Jackson's "Thriller" music video, corpses climb out of their graves and perform an impressively coordinated dance. In …
Study reveals how coral-associated bacteria help corals survive extreme heat
A new study from NYU Abu Dhabi has revealed how coral-associated bacteria help corals withstand extreme heat by producing steroid hormones that strengthen their immune response.
A CRISPR gene boost reduces seizures and strengthens muscles in mice
Some genetic diseases leave cells without a crucial protein. One possible treatment is to persuade genes already inside those cells to work harder, but the necessary machinery can…
Lysosomes, the cell's 'recycling centers,' found to help control heart rhythm
Scientists have discovered that lysosomes, structures traditionally viewed as the cell's recycling centers, also play a role in regulating the heart's natural rhythm. Researchers …
400,000-year-old fossilized termite nests named after Little Karoo town
University of Cape Town (UCT) researchers recently named a series of approximately 400,000-year-old fossilized underground nests of an extinct termite species after Calitzdorp, th…
Automated platform optimizes enzyme production using cell-free protein synthesis and AI-driven design
Enzymes are essential to a wide range of industrial processes. As biocatalysts, they play a key role in producing active pharmaceutical ingredients, specialty chemicals and ingred…
‘It’s really, really unusual’: tender bond between male donkey and bull baffles scientists
Patroclo and Achille’s interspecies affair sheds new light on social and sexual relations between animals, scientists sayIn ancient myth, Achilles and Patroclus were two Greek her…
Why birds speed up to slow down: The physics of landing
Birds may not always take the flight path that physics suggests is the perfect landing, at the safest and lowest possible speed, using the least energy, according to new research.
An unusual sexual bond between a bull and a male donkey
Sex between animals of the same sex is widespread in nature. But researchers reporting in the journal Current Biology on Nov. 2 describe an unusual partnership involving an ongoin…
Two new bandicoot species discovered after trawling through museum drawers
A 10-year scientific investigation of museum specimens has uncovered two previously unrecognized bandicoot species, expanded the known range of the iconic quenda (or southeastern …
New avocado cultivation methods not environmentally costly
A University of Queensland study has disproved the assumption that laboratory-based propagation of avocado carries an intrinsic environmental cost. The study led by researchers fr…
A job that changed me: I ran observatory tours as a student. An eight-year-old’s question taught me two important lessons
I thought the explanation I’d given about black holes was family-friendly; but after what she had said, I had to rethink my examplesRead more in the a job that changed me seriesIn…
As cancer treatments become more effective, we must ask: what is life like for the people who receive them? | Ranjana Srivastava
Many treatments are now extending lives, but the measure of progress should not end with a scan or a survival curveTwo decades ago, a dear friend called me in a trembling voice. W…
Kangaroo Island honey's chemical fingerprint tells story of Black Summer fires
Honey from Kangaroo Island's protected honeybees has been chemically characterized for the first time, giving local beekeepers scientific backing for the purity and provenance of …
Enzyme found to have surprising role in earliest infant gut microbiome development
Microbiologists have found that an enzyme not normally associated with microbial activities in the human gut has a role in how some bacteria access key nutrients in breast milk.
Starwatch: Catch the striking trifecta of Venus, the moon and Spica at break of dawn
The brilliant planet is about to join the waning crescent moon and the brightest star in the Virgo constellation Early risers have a beautiful sight to look forward to this week a…
From Italy to Croatia, a warming climate threatens prized white truffles
Guided by the beam of a flashlight, Tino Marolo follows his dog Stella through the darkness of a Piedmont woodland, searching for one of Italy's most prized culinary treasures hid…
The Guardian view on listening to people with learning disabilities: a matter of life and death | Editorial
The Covid pandemic shed an unforgiving light on health and social care inequalities. The lessons have yet to be absorbedThe fear that so many felt as the death toll rose during th…
Tributes paid to ‘inspiring’ University of Cambridge scientist who died in Spanish train crash
Dr Marta Shahbazi was travelling to a conference to receive an award for scientific excellence in developmental biologyAn “inspiring” University of Cambridge scientist died in the…