Real Time Spying on the Symphony of Cellular Signals That Drive Biology
A new imaging technology lets scientists spy on the flurry of messages passed within cells as they do . . . potentially everything. Until now,…
Biology News
Building a Cell Membrane Defense Against COVID-19
The cell membrane is the cell’s outermost line of defense against SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus responsible for COVID-19 disease. Cell membranes are just a few…
Star-Shaped Brain Cells May Hold the Key to Why and How We Sleep
A study published in the journal Current Biology suggests that star-shaped brain cells known as astrocytes could be as important to the regulation of sleep…
Chromosomes Actually Look Far Different Than the Pictures From High School Textbooks
High-resolution, 3D images of human chromosomes in single cells reveal how DNA structure might influence its function. In high school textbooks, human chromosomes are pictured…
Answers on When and How the First Animals Appeared From 500 Million-Year-Old Microfossils
When and how did the first animals appear? Science has long sought an answer. Uppsala University researchers and colleagues in Denmark have now jointly found,…
Plant Used in Traditional Chinese Medicine Evolves to Become Less Visible to Humans
A plant used in traditional Chinese medicine has evolved to become less visible to humans, new research shows. Scientists found that Fritillaria delavayi plants, which…
Uncovering Novel Genomes From Earth’s Microbiomes – Expands Known Diversity of Bacteria and Archaea by 44%
Despite advances in sequencing technologies and computational methods in the past decade, researchers have uncovered genomes for just a small fraction of Earth’s microbial diversity….
Prehistoric Shark Hid Its Largest, Sharpest Teeth
Some, if not all, early sharks that lived 300 to 400 million years ago not only dropped their lower jaws downward but rotated them outwards…
COVID-19: Vibrations of Coronavirus Proteins May Play Role in Infectivity and Lethality
Study suggests mechanical properties of spike proteins can predict infectivity and lethality of different coronaviruses. When someone struggles to open a lock with a key…
Researchers Create First Global Map of Bee Species
There are over 20,000 species of bee, but accurate data about how these species are spread across the globe are sparse. However, researchers reporting in…
How the Architecture of the Cell Nucleus Can Change Gene Activity in Plants
Genes that give plant nucleus its shape discovered, also regulate copper tolerance. Researchers at the University of Tokyo have identified how the architecture of the…
Scientists Snap Molecular Building Blocks of Brain Computing – Critical Step Towards Resolving the Atomic Details of the Brain
Synapses are specialized devices where learning and memory occur. The efficient transmission of synaptic signals relies on the delicate structure and complex molecular composition of…
Very Hungry, Very Angry Caterpillars Head-Butt to Get What They Want
Florida Atlantic University study shows how monarch butterfly caterpillars go from peaceful feeders to aggressive fighters in their quest for milkweed. Inspired by his own…
Blue Whales Return to South Georgia After Near Extinction From Whaling 50 Years Ago
An international research team led by UK scientists has revealed the return of critically endangered Antarctic blue whales to the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia,…
Lurking in Genomic Shadows: How Giant Viruses Fuel the Genetic Evolution of Organisms
Viruses are tiny invaders that cause a wide range of diseases, from rabies to tomato spotted wilt virus and, most recently, COVID-19 in humans. But…
Zoonosis Threat: Urgent Call for More Effective Wildlife Trade Legislation in Wake of COVID-19
International research team including Göttingen University makes urgent call for more effective wildlife trade legislation. Many diseases, such as COVID-19, have made the jump from…
Birds Play by Different Evolutionary Rules in the Amazon’s “Sand Forests”
Birds travel across habitats patches to breed, unlike their forest counterparts. Picture the Amazon. You’re thinking lush rainforests teeming with animals, right? It turns out,…
Global Coral Reef Survival: Could Key Gene System Discovery Be Suffocating Corals’ Last Gasp?
Ocean deoxygenation is now being recognized as major threat to future global coral reef survival. Oxygen is life, in or out of the water, raising…
