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Biology news
Hackers meet their match: New DNA encryption protects engineered cells from within
Engineered cells are a high-value genetic asset that is key to many fields, including biotechnology, medicine, aging, and stem cell research, with the global market projected to reach $8.0 trillion USD by 2035. Yet the only ...
Inquiry-based biomimicry course inspires students to design solutions by learning from nature
Research and innovation in Texas A&M University's biomedical engineering department often centers around clinical impact on patients. Beyond the lab, however, some faculty are finding breakthroughs in the classroom.
Biotechnology
9 hours ago
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13
Microbial hockey: Scientists discover how bacteria rotate tiny pucks
At the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Jérémie Palacci's research group is venturing into metallurgy—albeit with a twist. Instead of traditional tools, the scientists use E. coli bacteria, often associated ...
Cell & Microbiology
18 hours ago
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Oldest dog DNA suggests 16,000 years of human companionship
The discovery of the oldest ever dog DNA suggests they have been our best friends for nearly 16,000 years—5,000 years earlier than had previously been thought, new research said Wednesday.
Evolution
14 hours ago
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Irish bog plant revives ancient remedy as a new weapon vs superbugs
Long before we had modern antibiotics to rely on, people often turned to traditional medicines from plants to treat infections.
Plants & Animals
16 hours ago
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Researchers enhance original forestry decision-making software
Mississippi State researchers have developed an updated version of a widely used forestry decision-making tool, improving accessibility and usability while maintaining its analytical strength.
Ecology
22 hours ago
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11
From teeth to thorns: Coincidences shape the universal form of nature's pointed tips
We thought it was evolution, but an experiment with pencils shows that tips like teeth and thorns may owe their rounded shape to mechanical wear. Most of us have been stung by a bee, bitten by an animal, or scratched by a ...
Evolution
Apr 10, 2026
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69
SoCal's hybrid bees outsmart Varroa mites before they even hatch
Southern California is home to a flying black-and-yellow treasure. While commercial honeybee hives nationwide are collapsing under attack from deadly parasites, a unique hybrid bee found only in this part of the state has ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 10, 2026
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219
SNIPE bacterial defense system shreds phage DNA before infection can begin
What if the Trojan horse had been pulled to pieces, revealing the ruse and fending off the invasion, just as it entered the gates of Troy? That's an apt description of a newly characterized bacterial defense system that chops ...
Cell & Microbiology
Apr 10, 2026
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63
Camera-tagged Adélie penguins caught eating sea snails in East Antarctica
There are many poorly understood links in the food web, often referred to as trophic relationships. Out in East Antarctica, a previously unconfirmed link between sea snails and Adélie penguins might reveal more than meets ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 10, 2026
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39
Nicotine's last biosynthesis steps mapped in wild tobacco, ending a long mystery
Nicotine, a potent insecticidal alkaloid unique to the nightshade family, has been employed in agriculture as a pesticide since 1690. It also has therapeutic potential for neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 10, 2026
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24
Underwater architects: Nest-building in cichlids reveals more than hardwired instinct
We associate nests with shelter, warmth, and a safe retreat—and usually picture a bird's nest made out of twigs, grass and feathers. Yet many other animals take advantage of such refuges, with nests being built by a diversity ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 10, 2026
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24
Tropical trees are more neighborly than trees further from the equator, study finds
Tropical trees are better neighbors than trees in temperate forests, according to a study published in the journal Nature by researchers from 29 different institutions including the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 10, 2026
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34
Bacteria from bumblebees can produce vitamin B₂ in soya drinks
Researchers at DTU have developed a new method that can reduce the time needed to find new bacteria for fermentation. They have now identified a bacterium that can be used both for acidification and to increase the vitamin ...
Cell & Microbiology
Apr 10, 2026
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Unraveling the complexities of the Borna disease virus 1
Cases of Borna disease virus 1 (BoDV-1) are extremely rare in humans, but in those who develop disease, the outcome is severe, almost always resulting in fatal encephalitis or inflammation in the brain. This zoonotic virus ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Apr 10, 2026
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12
Unexpected predator: Jellyfish shown to hunt polychaete worms
Most polychaete species spend their lives in burrows in the seabed. However, adult individuals of two species, Alitta succinea and Platynereis dumerilii, leave their burrows to spawn during warm summer nights around the full ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 10, 2026
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13
Climate change is outpacing evolution. Scientists are using DNA to catch up
Evolution works over millennia. Climate change is moving far faster. That mismatch is killing some of the planet's most vital ecosystems, from California's towering redwoods to the seagrass meadows along its coast, both of ...
Ecology
Apr 10, 2026
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13
Alzheimer's-linked protein tau plays a role in cell division
All processes such as wound healing, hair growth, and the replacement of old cells with new ones depend on cell division. During this process, chromosomes inside the cell must be evenly divided between two daughter cells. ...
Cell & Microbiology
Apr 10, 2026
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12
Rod-shaped synthetic swimmers reveal a 'sweet spot' for active turbulence
Inspired by the collective dynamics of bacteria like E. coli and Bacillus subtilis, researchers at the University of Twente asked a simple but fundamental question: what happens when artificial swimmers are made rod-shaped ...
Cell & Microbiology
Apr 10, 2026
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'First contact' that may have led to complex life on Earth finally witnessed by scientists
On the shores of the west coast of Australia lies a window to our past: the stromatolites and microbial mats of Gathaagudu (Shark Bay).
Cell & Microbiology
Apr 10, 2026
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118
More news
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Liquid-like histone H1 'glues' nucleosomes, reshaping how DNA compacts
One DNA letter can trigger complete sex reversal
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Parachutes: A vital part of Artemis II's trip home
A smarter way to build vaccines: Scientists harness AI to target emerging alphaviruses
Examining embryo model ethics beyond box-checking
Ant larvae control parental care by using odor signals
Scientists discover f-block metals yield new oxygen-binding chemistry














































