Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Odors produced by soil microbes attract red fire ants to safer nest sites
Newly mated queens of the red fire ant select nest sites with a relatively low pathogen risk by detecting odors produced by soil bacteria that inhibit the growth of ant-infecting...
Paul Rudd to narrate 'Tiny World' nature docu-series
"Ant Man" icon Paul Rudd will be heard narrating "Tiny World," a natural world docu-series on Apple TV+.
How coronavirus took hold in North America and in Europe
Early interventions were effective at stamping out coronavirus infections before they spread, according to a new study. Combining virus genomics with epidemiologic simulations and travel records, the research shows that...
Analysis of Australian labradoodle genome reveals an emphasis on the 'oodle'
The creator of the Australian labradoodle set out to mix poodles and Labrador retrievers to develop a hypoallergic service dog. But, according to a new study, the breed that developed...
Without otters, Alaskan reefs more vulnerable to climate change, urchins
Coral reefs and kelp forests in Alaska have been left vulnerable to climate change and sea urchin predation in the absence of the Aleutian sea otter.
Droplets of an herbicide-loaded hydrogel stick their landing
Delivering herbicides and pesticides with hydrogels could help them stay on leaves when sprayed
Research sheds light on earliest stages of Angelman syndrome
New research provides insights into the earliest stages of Angelman syndrome. The work also demonstrates how human cerebral organoids can be used to shed light on genetic disorders that affect...
DNA-based nanotechnology stimulates potent antitumor immune responses
Combining their expertise in protein engineering and synthetic DNA technology, scientists successfully delivered nanoparticle antitumor vaccines that stimulated robust CD8 T cell immunity and controlled melanoma growth in preclinical models.
Diamondback moth uses plant defense substances as oviposition cues
Researchers showed that isothiocyanates produced by cruciferous plants to fend off pests serve as oviposition cues. The scientists identified two olfactory receptors whose sole function is to detect these defense...
How chemical diversity in plants facilitates plant-animal interactions
'As we continue to lose global biodiversity, we are also losing chemical diversity and the chance for discovery,' said a researcher.
The surprising rhythms of Leopards: Females are early birds, males are nocturnal
After 10 months of camera surveillance in the Tanzanian rainforest, researchers have concluded that female and male leopards are active at very different times of the day. The discovery contradicts...
Human norovirus strains differ in sensitivity to the body's first line of defense
Human norovirus strains differ in sensitivity to interferon, one of the body's first line of defense.
Mutant tomato helps to crack the secrets of fruiting
Researchers have found that fruit development in tomatoes rewires their central metabolism. The plant hormone gibberellin, which regulates major parts of plant development, triggers the process of fruiting. Using a...
Cell type-specific genetic regulation of gene expression across human tissues
The Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) project has identified expression and splicing quantitative trait loci in cis (QTLs) for the majority of genes across a wide range of human tissues. However, the...
Determinants of telomere length across human tissues
Telomere shortening is a hallmark of aging. Telomere length (TL) in blood cells has been studied extensively as a biomarker of human aging and disease; however, little is known regarding...
Transcriptomic signatures across human tissues identify functional rare genetic variation
Rare genetic variants are abundant across the human genome, and identifying their function and phenotypic impact is a major challenge. Measuring aberrant gene expression has aided in identifying functional, large-effect...
The impact of sex on gene expression across human tissues
Many complex human phenotypes exhibit sex-differentiated characteristics. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these differences remain largely unknown. We generated a catalog of sex differences in gene expression and in the...
A molecular pore spans the double membrane of the coronavirus replication organelle
Coronavirus genome replication is associated with virus-induced cytosolic double-membrane vesicles, which may provide a tailored microenvironment for viral RNA synthesis in the infected cell. However, it is unclear how newly...
The hepatocyte clock and feeding control chronophysiology of multiple liver cell types
Most cells of the body contain molecular clocks, but the requirement of peripheral clocks for rhythmicity and their effects on physiology are not well understood. We show that deletion of...
The GTEx Consortium atlas of genetic regulatory effects across human tissues
The Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) project was established to characterize genetic effects on the transcriptome across human tissues and to link these regulatory mechanisms to trait and disease associations. Here, we...
Analysis of Australian labradoodle genome reveals an emphasis on the 'oodle'
The creator of the Australian labradoodle set out to mix poodles and Labrador retrievers to develop a hypoallergic service dog. But, according to a new study by Elaine Ostrander at...
Odors produced by soil microbes attract red fire ants to safer nest sites
Newly mated queens of the red fire ant select nest sites with a relatively low pathogen risk by detecting odors produced by soil bacteria that inhibit the growth of ant-infecting...
GTEx Consortium releases fresh insights into how DNA differences govern gene expression
Scientists from the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) project, a National Institutes of Health-funded consortium including researchers from the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, have completed a wide-ranging set of studies...
Researchers anticipate rise of some mosquito-borne diseases
All mosquitoes are not created equal. Different species of the flying pest thrive at various temperature ranges and transmit different diseases. From this starting point, a Stanford-led paper for the first time...
'Significant' looper moth outbreak threatens North Shore trees
Coniferous forests across Vancouver's North Shore have been transformed into a bug buffet in recent weeks, as groups of hungry young moths seek sustenance, threatening hundreds of trees in the process.
Authorities investigating loose tiger sightings in Tennessee
Authorities in Tennessee said they are investigating multiple sightings of a tiger seen wandering loose in the Knoxville area.
Thousands of species recorded in a speck of soil
Researchers have developed a new technique to tease ancient DNA from soil, pulling the genomes of hundreds of animals and thousands of plants -- many of them long extinct --...
Over a century later, the mystery of the Alfred Wallace's butterfly is solved
An over a century-long mystery has been surrounding the Taiwanese butterfly fauna ever since the 'father of zoogeography' Alfred Russel Wallace described a new species of butterfly: Lycaena nisa, whose...