Biology
Prized wild pepper at risk in Madagascar's shrinking forests
A rare wild pepper endemic to Madagascar and prized by international chefs is facing an uncertain future, a victim of its own success and the destruction of its forest habitat.
More current with less calcium: Computational models help solve longstanding ion channel evolution mystery
In the early 1980s, scientists observed an anomaly. Embedded within cell membranes, they identified ion channels with extraordinarily high conductance. These so-called "BK" (Big K…
Transparent minispheres reveal that some look-alike cancer drugs part ways in 3D
Researchers at Uppsala University have adapted Cell Painting, a widely used imaging method in drug discovery, to look at individual cells inside small 3D clusters of cancer cells.…
Targeting a particular gene may improve tea plants' flavor and cold tolerance
Research in New Phytologist reveals a gene that regulates tea plants' flavor and cold tolerance, providing insights on how to expand the potential for better-tasting tea to be gro…
The humble one-celled alga that helped scientists win the Nobel prize
Chlamydomonas and its light-sensing protein help show how memories, feelings and behaviour form in our brainsA tiny alga has helped show how memories, feelings and behaviour form …
Mystery of Roman sarcophagus unearthed at Westminster Abbey solved at last, expert says
Archaeologist says skeleton inside coffin inscribed to Valerius Amandinus is likely to be remains of 11th-century abbotIt has all the ingredients of a chilling mystery: the skelet…
Guatemala gains its first endemic bird in American Ornithological Society's 67th supplement
The 67th Supplement to the American Ornithological Society's (AOS's) Check-list of North American Birds, which was published today in Ornithology, includes several significant upd…
Women farmers need better financing to benefit from AI
Public and private investments must address the financial barriers preventing women from benefiting fully from digital technologies and artificial intelligence as multiple global …
Major repairs needed to save Horseshoe Bay Lagoon
Volunteer researcher Chris Hopper, JCU's adjunct professor Eric Wolanski and independent researcher Natalie K. Dowling examined the impact of saltwater and erosion on Horseshoe Ba…
Researchers study how AI could improve weed management
Advances in weed management technology could reduce reliance on herbicides and manual labor, but a new review from the University of Mississippi and Cornell University indicates t…
Shipwrecks can become thriving reefs, but may contain hidden toxic time bombs
Late last year, scientists in Germany published findings on a World War II munitions dump in the Baltic Sea. Some may dismiss the dump as hazardous waste, but to marine biologists…
Bad apple effect: study shows how people are influenced by rule-breaking of others
Research shows how seeing bigger violations by others can lead people to increase their own rule-breakingFrom politicians taking bribes to bullying and harassment in City firms, l…
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…