Biology
Detailed 3D view of babesiosis parasite's ribosome could guide development of targeted treatments
A new study has revealed a three-dimensional, near-atomic-resolution view of the ribosome from Babesia divergens, one of several Babesia species known to infect humans and cause b…
Poles of bacteria imaged in fine detail for the first time
The poles, or ends, of rod-shaped bacteria have been imaged at molecular resolution for the first time in a new study led by UCL (University College London) researchers. The study…
Protein-building RNA molecules reveal possible remnants of an ancestral genetic code
The genetic code determines the correspondence between genetic instructions and amino acids—the building blocks that form proteins. How this correspondence arose is one of the maj…
Protein tails help shape mosquito cell-to-cell channels
Cells share small molecules with their neighbors through tiny tunnels made of proteins arranged in a ring. Research at Nagoya University suggests that the tails of the proteins mu…
Two new howler monkey species discovered in the Amazon after 85 years
Genetic research has uncovered two previously unknown species of howler monkey living in the Amazon rainforest, confirming the world's largest tropical forest is more biodiverse t…
Reef biodiversity accounting to help scale up restoration
To encourage new investments in more effective reef restoration activities, Australian scientists are recommending a new way of measuring biodiversity on coral reefs. A team of Au…
Study finds links between bacteria in wastewater and chronic disease
Bacteria found in wastewater may provide clues about community health, including rates of chronic disease, health behaviors and social conditions, according to a recent study from…
Purple bacteria turn CO₂ and other industrial waste products into valuable supplement ingredients
Scientists are always on the lookout for more efficient ways to make useful products and ingredients. Now, researchers from the University of Valladolid in Spain have successfully…
A net to protect against the world's deadliest animal—the mosquito
When people talk about the world's deadliest animal, many think of sharks, alligators or lions. But in reality, it is a small, unassuming—yet all the more annoying—insect: the mos…
Local AI trained on gut microbe data could help African livestock withstand heat
In a study published in Agriculture, researchers from the University of Johannesburg (UJ) propose a policy roadmap for an AI-driven precision farming approach to further improve i…
What a 99-million-year-old feather is telling us about the evolution of flight
Long before birds took to the skies, dinosaurs were already sporting feathers. But exactly how they evolved into the sophisticated structures that allow birds to fly remains somet…
Cool adaptations: How fish survive in the Antarctic Ocean
With water temperatures as low as -1.9°C (28.6°F), the Southern Ocean is a place of extreme living conditions. A new study led by Senckenberg researchers shows how fish have adapt…
Why the current strategy to manage mule deer populations may not be working
Following a surge of interest in deer hunting beginning in the '80s and '90s, strategies to manage deer populations evolved to increase the proportion of mature male deer. While t…
Finland's white-tailed eagle success story: What long-term data reveal about recovery
The white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) was once a rare species in Europe due to persecution and pollution. Thanks to legal protection and cleaner environments, many populat…
Tiny nutrient, big mystery: Key gene reveals how cereal crops transport nickel
Nickel plays an important physiological role in plants, but how it is transported over long distances from stems and leaves to grains was poorly understood for more than 50 years.…
Molecular structures reveal how a bacteriophage protein inhibits bacterial cell wall synthesis
Drug-resistant bacteria are becoming more common worldwide, posing a major public health challenge. Addressing this problem requires finding new ways to eliminate bacteria, which …
How cells pull together: Theoretical study reveals a hidden source of attraction
Imagine two people standing on a stretchy sheet. When one pulls, the other feels the fabric move and responds with a pull of their own. Each adjustment changes what the other feel…
Scientists release large-scale in situ cryo-ET resource for mouse sperm ultrastructure
The scale, quality and regional coverage of public cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) data resources have been insufficient, severely limiting data reuse, cross-regional compariso…
Pharma firms’ focus on weight-loss drugs could put insulin supply at risk, experts warn
GLP-1 products such as Ozempic and Mounjaro spread but many in poorer countries struggle to get basic diabetes treatmentThe gold rush into GLP-1 weight-loss drugs risks diverting …
Student team develops innovative 'Trojan horse' in the fight against the Asian hornet
An interdisciplinary team of students from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) is taking part in iGEM, the international synthetic biology competition in Paris (Nov. 13–16), this…
What seal pups can reveal about the effects of mercury exposure
Marine mammals living along the Pacific Coast of North America encounter more than the fish, crustaceans, cephalopods and other marine mammals that live around them. Because conta…
Researchers launch all-out assault on sawflies damaging wheat crops
Colorado wheat—the foundation for flour used in bread, noodles and pastries—has been besieged by the wheat stem sawfly, a native insect that recently developed a preference for wh…
Why we get Sad and what helps – podcast
As the nights draw in, many of us can experience low mood. But for a small proportion of people a more intense depression develops through the winter months. It’s a phenomenon tha…
Electrical technique concentrates milk without using heat, challenging traditional preservation methods
Dehydrating milk to turn it into powder is, today, an energy-intensive process that subjects the product to high temperatures. Powdered milk is widely used by the food industry an…