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New work shows how using next-generation DNA sequencing on ancient packrat middens—nests made out of plant material, fragments of insects, bones, fecal matter, and urine—could provide ecological snapshots of Earth's past. Published today in the journal…

There may be a solution on the horizon to combating superbug infections resistant to antibiotics. The tenacious bacteria and fungi sicken more than 2.8 million people and lead to more than 35,000 deaths in the United States each year.

Winter associations predict social and extra-pair mating patterns in blue tits. Researchers of the Max Planck Institutes for Ornithology in Seewiesen and for Animal Behavior in Radolfzell show in their new study that blue tits that often foraged together…

Using a machine-learning algorithm, MIT researchers have identified a powerful new antibiotic compound. In laboratory tests, the drug killed many of the world's most problematic disease-causing bacteria, including some strains that are resistant to all known…

The monkeyflower, or Mimulus, though possessing a relatively simple genome is able to produce a stunning array of pigmentation patterns. A team of researchers is one step closer to understanding exactly how this genus of wildflowers is able to achieve such…

While the genome editing tool CRISPR/Cas9, developed in 2012, cuts a mutation out of a gene and replaces it with a gene-piece, a newer type of CRISPR, called base-editing, can repair a mutation without cutting the DNA. Therefore, genome editing using…

Researchers at UW Medicine have decoded what makes good lighting—lighting capable of stimulating the cone photoreceptor inputs to specific neurons in the eye that regulate circadian rhythms.

New scientific findings released today in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Communications, show that expansion Aof the Pacific Remote Islands and Papahanaumokuakea marine national monuments did not cause overall economic harm to the Hawaii-based longline tuna…

Controlled angiogenesis (growth of new blood vessels) at damaged sites is an unresolved issue in the clinical setting. Most attempts include local treatment with pro-angiogenic molecules,Jo although the approach can induce inflammatory coupling, tumorous…

The welfare of dogs in kennels and rehoming centres may be improved if they're able to play with scented toys, according to new research by a team that included Hartpury University's Ben Brilot.

A new to science species of land snail was discovered by a group of citizen scientists working together with scientists from Taxon Expeditions, a company that organises scientific field trips for teams consisting of both scientists and laypeople. Having…

Surprising new knowledge on endothelial cells in a dozen different murine tissues is now available in an open access, user-friendly, database for professionals. This is the result of a new ground-breaking research study, published in the journal Cell: a study…

Ten baby Siamese crocodiles have been spotted in the wild in Cambodia, a sure sign that conservation efforts are having a real impact on a species once believed to be extinct in the wild.

A pair of researchers at the University of Connecticut, has found that hatchling tadpoles create their own air bubbles in order to breathe. In their paper published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, Kurt Schwenk and Jackson Phillips describe their study…

A team of researchers working at the University of Münster has found a high frequency of unwanted duplications during routine CRISPR-Cas9 genetic insertions in mice. In their paper published in the journal Science Advances, the group describes how they…

Rats are happy to help each other out, but only if another rat helps them out first, according to new research from the University of St Andrews and the University of Bern, Switzerland.

A new model has projected that current trends in climate change could place over 50% of North Atlantic cold-water coral habitat at risk, while suitable habitats for commercially important deep-sea fish could shift by up to 1000 km northwards. These effects…

Arthropod passions will soar along Florida's coastal waters in March and April as we reach peak mating season for horseshoe crabs.

They know their names. We can read their facial expressions, sort of. And some of them really like having us around. These are among the purported findings of recent scientific studies aimed at deciphering the behavior of some of our most mysterious yet…

A new Michigan State University study shows how a protein, called peroxiredoxin Q, or PRXQ, connects two biochemical pathways that are vital for plant chloroplast health.

Researchers in the United States have unveiled the structure of the "spike protein" of 2019-nCoV—the virus behind the current coronavirus disease outbreak.

Scalloped hammerhead sharks stay warm as they descend into cold, deep water off the coast of Hawaii, suggesting the cold-blooded species may maintain its body temperature on dives by holding its breath, according to new research presented at the Ocean Sciences…

The efficient self-assembly of functional protein complexes is a major goal of industrial biotechnology. A new LMU study shows that the productivity of such processes crucially depends on tight regulation of the supply of components.

Researchers at the Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology of the University of Valencia as well as the University of Alicante have found a new reason for the decrease in the number of sparrows (Passer domesticus) in urban areas: the…

The Threatened Species Recovery Hub has undertaken a conservation assessment of every Australian eucalypt tree species and found that over 190 species meet internationally recognised criteria for listing as threatened: most of these are not currently listed as…

Sea trout populations have declined sharply. Researchers have studied the life of sea trout by means of acoustic telemetry tags and listening stations. Now they know more about what we need to do to protect the sea trout population.

The success of life on earth is based on the amazing ability of living cells to divide themselves into two daughter cells. During such a division process, the outer cell membrane has to undergo a series of morphological transformations that ultimately lead to…

Fragrant aromas from plants can actually be a response to attacks by insects, and can alert neighbours to an attack or summon the insects' predators. Now, scientists are deciphering these secret codes to develop better, greener chemicals to defend crops…

Scientists from the University of Amsterdam are warning that problems with toxic cyanobacteria are likely to increase in the future. In an article in the journal Science Advances, they show that a common cyanobacterium adapts exceptionally easily to rising CO2…

When a plant or animal species is introduced to a new environment with few natural predators, it can spread uncontrollably, transforming the ecosystem and crowding out existing populations. One well-known example is the cane toad, which was introduced into…