Biology
Plantwatch: The insect-eating alpine plant that proves Darwin was right
Study shows Saxifraga candelabrum traps and digests midges – just as the evolutionary biologist predicted back in 1875In 1875, Charles Darwin predicted that Saxifraga candelabrum,…
The girl with a will to live: the love, hope and pain of raising Elsie – my one in 163 million daughter
She was born with an ultra-rare genetic disorder. After my decades working in film PR, I now face the biggest campaign of all: the fight for her lifeMy daughter Elsie has beautifu…
Chimpanzees give youngsters the tools to learn tricky techniques
Two-thirds of a century after Jane Goodall observed "David Greybeard" break off a twig to fashion a fishing rod for termites, researchers following in her footsteps have found tha…
How high turnover rates in Tanzania's agro-dealer sector affect farmer fertilizer adoption
Smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa adopt agricultural inputs, including fertilizer, at low rates, contributing to low agricultural productivity. Previous research has shown…
A new mechanism for reading extra-long genes in neurons
Neurons in humans and other mammals express many exceptionally long genes, ranging from more than 100 kbp to more than 2 Mbp, that are important for forming synapses and neural ci…
Greyhound racing just turned 100, and says its dogs are fine. But are they?
This year, greyhound racing in Britain turns 100 years old. The first race took place on July 24, 1926, in Manchester, where six dogs chased a mechanical hare around a track.
New species of 240-million-year-old prehistoric animal could reshape dinosaur origins timeline
A new prehistoric animal species from Tanzania dating to around 240 million years ago, during the Triassic period, has been described by an international team of researchers. Led …
Tracking the path of new world screwworm
New cases of New World screwworm have recently surfaced in the United States, highlighting the critical need to track its paths to determine where future infestations may occur. R…
How a pathogen turns flowers into leaves
Scientists have found how a protein produced by bacteria disrupts the mechanism that controls flower development in plants, turning reproductive organs into leaf-like structures. …
Home advantage or pastures new? High-Arctic shorebirds rarely return to the same breeding area
Shorebirds are capable of some of the longest migrations on Earth, yet most return year after year to the same area to breed. Coming back has distinct advantages, including knowin…
New peanut genome map uncovers hidden gene, boosts dense-planting yields 20%
An international team that includes researchers from Murdoch University's Centre for Crop and Food Innovation (CCFI) has built the most comprehensive genetic map of the peanut yet…
Mitotic chromosomes may assemble from pre-existing chromatin 'building blocks' during cell division
Inside each human cell, about 2 meters (6.6 feet) of genomic DNA must be accurately copied and equally transmitted to two daughter cells during cell division. To achieve this, the…
3D food printing of balanced vegetarian dishes from rice and lentil flours
Rice and lentils are a pairing that goes a long way back, whether as khichdi in India or mujaddara in the Middle East. On its own, each is a source of incomplete protein, short on…
Heat-stable enzyme from deep-sea microbe turns nitrogen gas into ammonia
Microorganisms can do remarkable things—for example, nitrogen fixation, the conversion of nitrogen gas (N₂) into a form that organisms can use. Although nitrogen gas makes up arou…
Wild dogs make the longest recorded journey of any terrestrial mammal in Africa
African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) travel incredibly long distances to search for a mate and new places to breed. They typically embark on these mammoth treks as young adults and o…
Avoiding a sticky situation: How cells stop messenger RNAs from clumping together
Messenger RNA, or mRNA, is best known for carrying genetic instructions from DNA to the cellular machinery that makes proteins. But all RNA molecules have another, less appreciate…
How individual cells 'surf' chemical waves to form a collective
Researchers have developed an innovative imaging technique to visualize the transition of single cells into multicellular organisms in new detail.
Biophysical model suggests how cells optimize information gathering without using too much energy
In both biological and engineered systems, cells and sensors must make sense of noisy, changing signals to function. However, collecting and using this information consumes valuab…
Fertilizer study reveals where the world can boost food production and cut pollution
Global consumption of fertilizer has doubled since 1980, but some regions that have historically overused fertilizer, including China and parts of Europe, have taken steps to redu…
AI models chatting in ‘surreal’ dialect mixing poetic language and tech bro jargon
Experts air concern over AI lingo redolent of James Joyce’s prose that is creating headaches for monitoring and oversightAI models have begun communicating in a strange new versio…
Planting trees in the wrong places is not a climate solution
A recent United Nations report has stated that the world will likely overshoot the 1.5°C target set out in the 2015 Paris Agreement by 2030.
Marine bacteria team up to break down one of the ocean's toughest carbon-storing molecules
Deep in the ocean, brown algae and diatoms produce a complex carbohydrate molecule called fucoidan, which helps form their protective outer layers. The fucoidan molecule is very d…
Advanced X-ray crystallography determines structure of macromolecule at unprecedented resolution
Proteins are high-performance molecular machines that carry out nearly every biochemical function inside living cells. To understand how they achieve this, scientists often examin…
Our new research shows humans have maligned bandicoots for decades, making them more vulnerable to extinction
Have you ever found your lawn riddled with holes or heard a little sneeze from your backyard bushes? Those are signs you might have a resident bandicoot. Bandicoots are nocturnal,…