Biology
Changes in DNA packaging help immune cells swell and burst
Immune cells are the elite athletes of the human body. While other cells stay in place, immune cells travel throughout our bodies, squeezing through small channels, stretching the…
Sperm whale study highlights need for 'extensive and dynamic' conservation
A new study of sperm whales highlights the need for ocean conservation that covers large areas—with boundaries redrawn as our climate changes. The research team, led by the Univer…
Rise of collagen-eating microbes may help explain gaps in the fossil record
Researchers may have uncovered the reason why some of Earth's earliest animals were commonly preserved as fossils—even though they were essentially fragile "bags of goo"—while lat…
Harmless amoeba's tight-space crawling offers clues to how its deadly relative invades the brain
Tiny, shapeless invaders can find their way from ponds to the human brain and cause an infection so severe that it has a 95% fatality rate. The amoeba Naegleria fowleri naturally …
Mixing plant material with manure may be key to profitable biogas production
The U.S. dairy industry is a major contributor to agricultural greenhouse gas emissions, with manure storage and handling representing a significant source of methane. Anaerobic d…
Colombia's new bee checklist documents 738 species, including 246 newly recorded
A team led by a Penn State professor and doctoral student has compiled a checklist documenting the bee species in Colombia—the first of its kind for any country in the Western Hem…
Olowalu reef off Maui provides glimpse into two centuries of environmental changes
New research led by the University of Hawai'i Sea Grant College Program (Hawai'i Sea Grant), the UH Mānoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) and the U.S. Geo…
DNA testing of fecal samples reveals greater gliders eat wider variety of plants than previously thought
Identifying the favorite snacks of one of Australia's cutest animals no longer needs to rely on guesswork or picking apart their poop, according to University of the Sunshine Coas…
Brain cells regulate cholesterol to control neuron signaling
Cholesterol, a fat-like substance in the body best known for its role in cardiovascular health, also plays a key role in how neurons—foundational cells for the brain's ability to …
Covid, Brexit and Liz Truss mini-budget led to lasting decline in mental health, study finds
Researchers found five events, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, caused serious damage to mental wellbeing across UKBrexit, Liz Truss’s mini-budget and other “shocks” over t…
Healthy reef sounds can boost coral and fish recovery efforts
Coral reefs are renowned for their visual beauty, but for the marine life they support, their sounds may be just as enticing. Two new studies led by UC San Diego's Scripps Institu…
As species decline, green turtles offer a glimmer of hope
The palm-sized green turtle hatchling flailing through the sand on a Malaysian island may seem vulnerable, but its species has emerged as a symbol of hope for wildlife conservatio…
New collar sensor could reveal how wildfire smoke affects animal health
When wildfire smoke fills the air, most people can go inside to avoid it. Wildlife does not have that option, and little is known about how animals living in remote areas respond …
Teenager becomes first person to have testicular tissue transplant in UK
Operation on 19-year-old who had no sperm after chemotherapy offers hope of preserving children’s fertility after cancer treatment Surgeons have performed the first testicular tis…
Listening to hidden insects could give farmers an early warning of crop pests
Crawling through muddy soybean fields to inspect several plant-mounted microphones was not on Emily Sur's graduate school bingo card, but she's not mad about it. Her research offe…
Rising seas threaten the world's migratory shorebirds
Birds undertake some of the world's most impressive migrations, traveling hundreds to thousands of kilometers every year in search of safe breeding grounds and seasonally abundant…
Margaret Hamilton, trailblazer whose software powered Apollo 11 moon landing, dies at 90
MIT computer scientist led development of software for moon mission and earned Presidential Medal of FreedomMargaret Hamilton, the computer pioneer whose software powered the firs…
How a harmful bacterium senses iron—and why it matters for fighting infections
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a common culprit in hospital-acquired bacterial infections and is growing more resistant to antibiotics. New findings from Aaron Smith, professor of chem…
Superbug P. aeruginosa uses two protein plugs to seal channels against antibiotics
A joint research team has identified a new mechanism underlying antibiotic resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a major multidrug-resistant "superbug." The discovery provides imp…
Chain reaction that begins when tumor suppression gene is switched off offers clues to how cancer develops
A tumor suppressor gene known as p53 is mutated in more than half of all cancers, but how it acts to prevent cancer formation is largely unknown. A study by UT Southwestern Medica…
Eight-year analysis reveals how sunlight and nutrients shape sustainable urban farming
Factors such as sunlight and stage-specific nutrient application determine crop success in urban agriculture, far beyond fixed recipes or miracle solutions. The findings are publi…
New approach to plant stress studies could yield hardier crops and medical insights
At the University of Missouri, plant scientist Ron Mittler is rewriting the playbook for how scientists study life by asking what happens when living organisms face multiple stres…
First global genome atlas reveals overlooked microscopic life in hundreds of lakes and reservoirs
Tiny single-celled organisms help keep lakes clear, but some can also contaminate the water. An international research team has analyzed DNA data from 362 lakes to create the firs…
Giant tortoises outnumber people in Seychelles, with nearly 183,000 on Aldabra
A landmark survey of the world's largest free-roaming giant tortoise population has revealed that the once-endangered species is thriving and stable in the Seychelles.