Ants Fight Plant Diseases by Secreting Antibiotics – Potential for Use in Agriculture
New research from Aarhus University shows that ants inhibit at least 14 different plant diseases. The small insects secrete antibiotics from glands in the body….
Biology News
“Nanoscale CAT Scan” – Liquid-Cell Technology Offers First 3D View of Life’s Processes
A new liquid-cell technology allows scientists to see living biological materials and systems in three dimensions under an electron microscope, according to researchers at Penn…
New Study on Human-Clam Relationships Over the Last 11,500 Years
A new study on the long-term relationship between humans and clams in B.C.’s Salish Sea is helping to inform modern marine resource management. Researchers from…
“Artisanal Cheese” Possible – Taming the Wild Cheese Fungus
The flavors of fermented foods are heavily shaped by the fungi that grow on them, but the evolutionary origins of those fungi aren’t well understood….
Novel Virus Type Uncovered – Researchers Believe It Holds Secrets of Viral Evolution
Viruses are non-living creatures, consisting of genetic material encased in a protein coat. Once the virus infects a living organism, it can replicate itself and…
Old Theory on How Piranhas Keep Their Teeth Sharp Finally Proven With New Technology
Piranha fish swap old teeth for new simultaneously. Piranha fish have a powerful bite. Their teeth help them shred through the flesh of their prey…
New Genetic Engineering Tool Unlocks Biochemical Treasure Chest Within Microbes
A new genetic engineering tool will help open the floodgates of microbial metabolite applications. Secondary metabolites – the compounds produced by microbes to mediate internal…
Scientists Assumptions Were Wrong About Cell Mitochondria – They Work More Like Tesla Battery Packs
For years, scientists assumed that mitochondria — the energy-generating centers of living cells — worked much like household batteries, generating energy from a chemical reaction…
GPS Tracking Reveals Rare ‘Itinerant Breeding’ Behavior in California Bird
Reproduction and migration are the two most demanding tasks in a bird’s life, and the vast majority of species separate them into different times of…
New Study of Species That Mate for Life Shows How Investing in Love and Affection Pays Off
New research from the University of Chicago and University of North Carolina shows how species of birds form long-term bonds to raise their young more…
Biophysicists Study Molecular Effects of Asthma Drugs
A research team from the MIPT Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases has collaborated with colleagues from the U.S., Canada, France, and…
New Brain Research Could Change How Concussions and Other Traumatic Brain Injuries Are Treated
Traumatic brain injuries (TBI), including concussions, can be caused by anything from sports injuries to battlefield trauma. And they can have fatal or lasting effects….
How Did Cells Originally Form Billions of Years Ago? Scientists Identify Molecule That May Be Key to Emergence of Life on Earth.
Compounds called cyclophospholipids would have held up against the planet’s harsh conditions, helping the first cells form and proliferate. To truly understand how the body…
Fascinating Study of Carnivorous Plants Captures Universal Rules of Leaf Making [Video]
Leaves display a remarkable range of forms from flat sheets with simple outlines to the cup-shaped traps found in carnivorous plants. A general question in…
Groundbreaking Video Captures Whale Bubble-Net Feeding From a Whale’s POV
Itʻs one of the most unique things you will see in the wild. A humpback whale swimming in a circular pattern while blowing bubbles to…
Honeybees Are Accomplished Mathematicians
Start thinking about numbers and they can become large very quickly. The diameter of the universe is about 8.8×1023 km and the largest number with…
Neuroscientists Show How Interactions Between Neuronal Migration and Outgrowth Shape Network Architecture
Neurons are not randomly arranged in the human brain. In the cortex, they are organized in interconnected clusters with high intrinsic connectivity. This modular connectivity…
Rapid Evolution of Deadly Pathogen: Cholera Bacterium Can Steal Up to 150 Genes in One Go
EPFL scientists have discovered that predatory bacteria like the cholera pathogen can steal up to 150 genes in one go from their neighbors. The study…