Biology
Smart use of trees and crops brings best yield
Cultivating crops—such as wheat, barley and rye—alongside rows of trees is a system of agroforestry that is known as "alley-cropping." It serves many functions: in addition to enh…
Cells 'sense' physical forces to seal tissues and protect organs
Northwestern Medicine scientists have uncovered a molecular mechanism that enables cells to protect organs from leaks, infection and inflammation, according to a study published i…
Why demand persists for the horn of a once near-extinct antelope
Family traditions, misconceptions about where it comes from, and a belief that remedies sold in shops are government-approved help explain continued demand for saiga antelope horn…
Watching others pays off: Attentive macaques benefit from observing their group mates interacting
Monkeys constantly observe and evaluate their social environment. It stands to reason that the social and mental abilities required to do so were favored by evolution. After all, …
Promising new biomarkers to diagnose feline chronic kidney disease
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is common in cats but often goes undiagnosed until it's at a late stage. Thanks to a recent study published in the Journal of Proteome Research, resea…
How bacteria build the molecular bushing of the flagellar motor
The bacterial flagellum is a motility organelle that enables bacteria to swim and is composed of more than 30 different proteins. Researchers have long sought to understand how th…
Protecting the vulnerable Y chromosome at the beginning of development
It's known that the Y chromosome, which confers male sex, plays a big role in development and health, despite its small size. As cells age they frequently lose their Y chromosomes…
Removing too much crop waste for bioenergy could come at a cost to biodiversity, study finds
Crop residues—the stems, leaves and husks left behind after harvesting cereals—could provide an important source of renewable energy for Europe, but research led by the University…
Two genes, two harvests: Adapting barley for double cropping
Growing two crops in succession on the same land requires a tight schedule. In parts of central and eastern China, farmers sow barley in autumn and harvest it in late spring. It i…
A hummingbird's brilliant magenta feathers depend on a hidden middle layer
The brilliant magenta feathers on the head and throat of a male Anna's hummingbird present an optical puzzle. Magenta cannot be produced by a single wavelength of light. Instead, …
Is it true that … dock leaves cure nettle stings?
It’s a time-honoured treatment and rubbing certainly helps, but other leaves could be just as goodIf you’ve ever brushed against a stinging nettle, chances are someone told you to…
Can you solve it? The multi-choice maths quiz taking over the world
This Kangaroo is jumping!There is nothing in education quite like the Kangaroo. A multiple-choice maths challenge sat by more than seven million children in around 120 countries, …
Starwatch: Count these stars to find out how dark the sky is where you are
Great Square of Pegasus’s four corners are widely visible, but its inner stars provide a useful indicator of darknessThis week, we are going to locate the Great Square of Pegasus …
Small histone differences help shape gene regulation during sperm development
Researchers from Kyushu University have found that H3mm15, a histone H3.3 subvariant, contributes to normal sperm development in mice by helping regulate gene expression during sp…
The Guardian view on Ordnance Survey maps: still a superior way to navigate the landscape | Editorial
The 225th anniversary of the organisation’s first publication is an opportunity to celebrate its unique contribution to our sense of placeIn his one-paragraph short story, On Exac…
100 buses long: Scientists map one of the world's largest known coral colonies
A huge coral colony stretching more than 1.5 kilometers (0.93 miles) along the outer reef of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands has been identified by researchers, making it one of the l…
Nasa seeks next generation of astronauts to live and work on the moon
Applications due on 3 December for new generation of explorers who can ‘shape humanity’s future in space’Nasa has launched a callout for a new generation of astronauts as it searc…
New species of ground-dwelling bird, the largest of its kind, identified in same cave as Homo floresiensis
In 2009, researchers working in the Liang Bua cave on Flores Island came across a leg bone. The 190,000–120,000-year-old fossil was identified as a bird bone and set aside. Like m…
New drug could be cure for common cause of high blood pressure
Benefits of baxdrostat are unexpectedly found to remain up to two years after patients stop taking itMillions of people with high blood pressure stand to benefit from a new drug t…
Chimp sanctuary delivers an ape's food by drone amid Florida floods
A Florida chimpanzee sanctuary had to deliver food to one of its 200 apes by drone this week because the property was swamped by heavy rain. But the animals stayed safe, and the w…
Why the tropics lose the most birds when cities expand
Tropical ecosystems are famous for their teeming, exuberant diversity. In fact, the dramatic increase in biodiversity from the poles to the tropics—known as the latitudinal divers…
Student finds proof of rare wild cat in northern New Mexico
Armed with dozens of motion-sensing cameras, William Grooms spent this past summer documenting wildlife across Carson National Forest in northern New Mexico. It was his first fiel…
The hidden ways insects support animal life—from habitat to health—go way beyond being food
There are at least 14 million insect species on Earth, and they play highly diverse roles in sustaining the natural world. Insects provide many well-known benefits—what scientists…
Scientists discover new jellyfish species in waters off Alicante in Spain
The Mediterranean Sea still holds species unknown to science. One of them is Copula lucentia, a tiny jellyfish measuring just a few millimeters. Discovered off El Campello, in Ali…