Biology
Scaling up the detection of genome-edited rice lines
A new open-access study introduces RiSpy, a data-driven fingerprinting framework that makes the identification of genome-edited (GE) rice lines more robust, scalable and broadly a…
Newfound fungal nutrient-sensing mechanism could advance biofuels and disease control
Scientists have taken a step toward a better understanding of how fungi sense and respond to nutrients in the environment, which is critical for engineering fungi for green techno…
Trump administration overhauls key protection for endangered species
President Donald Trump's administration will no longer treat the unintentional killing of protected wildlife as unlawful, officials confirmed Thursday, in a shift conservationists…
Microfluidic device simulates human tissue and offers an alternative to animal testing
Researchers at the Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM) have developed microfluidic technology that can grow cells in three dimensions (3D). The goal is t…
New bioinformatics tools help identify pathogenic variants in the genome
Structural variants and so-called tandem repeats are individual differences in the human genome. They are increasingly linked to diseases, but analyzing and interpreting them pose…
Identifying old-growth forests in Northern Europe requires common scientific criteria
Old-growth forests are some of Europe's most valuable natural ecosystems, but they are also among the most threatened. Their role in conserving biodiversity, regulating the climat…
Moles' wide-armed posture reshapes how their shoulder bones carry loads
While the scapula is the primary bone supporting the body in terrestrial quadrupedal mammals, an analysis of internal bone structure in underground moles (family Talpidae) showed …
Decoding the DNA switches behind gene regulation
Understanding gene regulation may be key to interpreting human disease genetics. Genes are regulated in part by stretches of DNA called enhancers, which define when, where and how…
New study explores US consumers' willingness to pay for fresh-market grape attributes
A recent study examined U.S. consumers' preferences and willingness to pay for different attributes of fresh-market grapes, providing insights for growers, retailers and the fresh…
Two spike 'keys' work together to let SARS-CoV-2 enter cells, study reveals
To enter cells, the COVID-19 virus fuses its surrounding membrane with the membrane of the target cell. This is where the fusion peptides of the spike protein come into play. Thes…
What Wendell Berry meant to Christian farmers going green
In the late evening of Aug. 31, 2026, I missed a call from Jennifer, a seventh-generation cattle rancher in Georgia. She was one of more than 70 family farmers and ranchers across…
Threatened bumblebee populations in England and Wales face severe genetic declines
A new study reveals that an important pollinator is rapidly losing genetic diversity in Britain. Moss carder bumblebees were once widespread across the UK, living in flower-rich m…
Virtual biotech company puts thousands of AI scientist agents to work on drug discovery
The latest company to spin out of a Stanford Medicine lab is a biotech undertaking with 37,000 employees—and none of them are human. There's no lab space, no lunch breaks and no p…
Sixteen new fungus species found hiding in Thailand's flowers
Researchers have discovered 16 new species of fungus living unnoticed inside garden flowers and wildflowers across northern Thailand, more than quintupling the number of such fung…
Climate change is making it easier for invasive species to succeed
In 2017, Hurricane Maria made landfall on Puerto Rico with maximum sustained winds of 250 kilometers per hour (155 mph). It devastated communities and infrastructure, was associat…
Capybaras in the desert? Fossil casts doubt on Atacama as world's oldest continuously dry region
Ask any zoo-goer and they will tell you that capybaras are adorable. Ask a scientist specializing in the rodents, which resemble oversized guinea pigs, and they will tell you they…
Deep-sea hydrothermal vents may be a hot spot for pregnant Antarctic krill
Antarctic krill are tiny shrimp-like creatures that were previously thought to mostly inhabit the upper layer of the Southern Ocean. Although they had occasionally been observed a…
European ash pangenome could help researchers breed a generation of trees resistant to ash dieback
In a study published in the journal Nature Communications, researchers from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Forest Research and collaborating organizations present the first-ever …
Wild honeybee populations in the EU are on the Red List for the first time
Populations of the Western honeybee (Apis mellifera) are under immense pressure in the wild in Europe. New research published in Conservation Science and Practice from the Univers…
Endurance running or endurance diving—which came first?
A new study combines paleoanthropology and diving physiology to address a fundamental question in human evolution: Why did humans evolve their exceptional aerobic endurance? Did o…
Deep-sea crustaceans caught hitching rides on giant sea spiders
Some types of marine life appear to have it easy. While exploring thousands of meters below the waves in the Chilean Margin in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, scientists observed …
Beaver reintroduction improves peatland water storage and drought resilience
A study led by a doctoral researcher at the University of Liverpool has found that beavers may help restore degraded peatlands by keeping landscapes wetter and making them more re…
Genome assembly of rice stink bug offers new data-informed tool in fight against costly pest
Scientists are getting a leg up on the rice stink bug, one of the most significant threats to rice, a staple food for nearly half the world's population and a major crop in Arkans…
Birds basking in natural 'saunas'
New research led by the University of Otago—Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka shows some bird species may be taking advantage of natural geothermal "health spas."