Software assembles complete genome sequences on-demand

National Institutes of Health researchers have developed and released an innovative software tool to assemble truly complete (i.e., gapless) genome sequences from a variety of species. This software, called Verkko, which ...

Examining the chemicals involved in insect mating

It's almost Valentine's Day, and love is in the air. Or in the waxy coating on your skin, if you are a vinegar fly. That's where flies encounter pheromones that play an important role in regulating sexual attraction.

How mechanical tearing cuts neural connections in the fruit fly

Scientists from the Institute of Neuro- and Behavioral Biology at Münster University have been studying the regulated removal of neural connections in the model system of the Drosophila fruit fly. They find that mechanical ...

Polygamous birds shown to have fewer harmful mutations

Bird species that breed with several sexual partners have fewer harmful mutations, according to a study led by the Milner Centre for Evolution at the University of Bath. The study, published in Evolution, shows for the first ...

What 'alien' languages can teach us about real ones

You can learn a lot about an animal by how it communicates. Birds tweet melodies to attract mates and defend their territory. Dogs befriend each other with wagging tails and smelly pheromones. Even plants communicate by diffusing ...

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