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Biology news
First successful test of wild minke whales reveals they have ultrasonic hearing
A team of marine biologists from Norway, the U.S. and Denmark has conducted the first hearing test of a live baleen whale. For their study published in the journal Science, the group corralled a pair of wild minke whales ...
New maps show high-risk zones for whale-ship collisions—vessel speed limits and rerouting can reduce the toll
Imagine you are a blue whale swimming up the California coast, as you do every spring. You are searching for krill in the Santa Barbara Channel, a zone that teems with fish, kelp forests, seagrass beds and other undersea ...
Ecology
17 hours ago
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Gene regulation study reports surprising results: Extensive regions of DNA belong to multiple gene switches
Some sequences in the genome cause genes to be switched on or off. Until now, each of these gene switches, or so-called enhancers, was thought to have its own place on the DNA. Different enhancers are therefore separated ...
Evolution
Nov 22, 2024
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'e-Drive': New gene drive reverses insecticide resistance in pests... then disappears
Insecticides have been used for centuries to counteract widespread pest damage to valuable food crops. Eventually, over time, beetles, moths, flies and other insects develop genetic mutations that render the insecticide chemicals ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Nov 22, 2024
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Fossil discovery reveals giant worm lizard with snail-cracking jaws
An international team of researchers has discovered a new fossil worm lizard species in Tunisia. Terastiodontosaurus marcelosanchezi is the largest known species of the Amphisbaenia group, with a skull length of over five ...
Paleontology & Fossils
Nov 22, 2024
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New technique points to unexpected uses for snoRNA across many cell types
Dynamic, reversible modifications of DNA and RNA regulate how genes are expressed and transcribed, which can influence cellular processes, disease development, and overall organismal health. Small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) ...
Cell & Microbiology
Nov 22, 2024
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90
Caste differentiation in ants: How a specific hormone regulates the process
Scientists from the University of Copenhagen have revealed how a specific hormone regulates ant caste differentiation by phenotypic measurements of organ-level developmental changes and matching transcriptome analyses. Published ...
Plants & Animals
Nov 22, 2024
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62
Parasaurolophus pipes: Modeling the dinosaur's crest to study its sound
Fossils might give a good image of what dinosaurs looked like, but they can also teach scientists what they sounded like. The Parasaurolophus is a duck-billed dinosaur with a unique crest that lived 70 million to 80 million ...
Paleontology & Fossils
Nov 22, 2024
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62
tRNAs help some mRNAs get lost in translation
Scientists have discovered that tRNAs can determine how long mRNAs exist in a cell, causing some messages to be stabilized and translated into more protein, while directing others to be degraded and limiting how much protein ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Nov 22, 2024
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AI and genus-conditioned algorithms create precise simulation-ready models of 600,000 existing urban trees
The Irish philosopher George Berkely, best known for his theory of immaterialism, once famously mused, "If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" What about AI-generated trees? They ...
Ecology
Nov 22, 2024
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Exploring the impact of offshore wind on whale deaths
In the winter of 2022–2023, nearly a dozen whales died off the coast of New Jersey, near the sites of several proposed wind farms. Their deaths prompted concern that related survey work being conducted in the area somehow ...
Plants & Animals
Nov 22, 2024
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Building climate resilient cocoa farming in West Africa
Agroforestry systems, which integrate trees and shrubs into farming, are vital to achieving sustainable cocoa production in West Africa where 70% of the world cocoa is produced. Climate change induced drought means that it ...
Agriculture
Nov 22, 2024
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Non-genetic reprogramming method to restore sweat gland function shows promise for burn victims
Sweat glands are vital for regulating body temperature, maintaining fluid balance, and supporting skin health. Yet, extensive skin injuries, such as burns, often result in the loss of these glands, leaving patients vulnerable ...
Cell & Microbiology
Nov 22, 2024
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Scientists develop method 'tetraplex digital PCR assay' for detecting DNA of invasive snakes in Florida
Scientists at the University of Florida have developed a pioneering tool to bolster Florida's defenses against invasive species: a DNA-based environmental monitoring test that can pinpoint where they've been, aiding eradication ...
Ecology
Nov 22, 2024
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'Doomsday fish' washed ashore in California, but what does that mean?
If one oarfish landing on a beach is a sign of a disaster to come, how bad will it be if three wash up in quick succession?
Plants & Animals
Nov 22, 2024
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Journals co-publish call to action for collaborative microbiological research to combat climate change
Researchers and 14 scientific journals worldwide are calling on governments and industry to take coordinated action to collaboratively counter climate change by harnessing microbiological research. They propose six areas ...
Ecology
Nov 22, 2024
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Humpback whale nursery hotspot detected in Australian waters
Marine biologists from The University of Western Australia have recommended protection measures for a humpback whale nursery ground in the Exmouth Gulf in Western Australia's Pilbara region.
Plants & Animals
Nov 22, 2024
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More than 40% of coral species face extinction, according to new research
Following a global assessment, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species has revealed that 44% of reef-building coral species globally are at risk of extinction. The announcement was made at the ongoing COP29 UN climate conference.
Ecology
Nov 22, 2024
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Emperor penguin released at sea 20 days after waddling onto Australian beach
The only emperor penguin known to have swum from Antarctica to Australia was released at sea 20 days after he waddled ashore on a popular tourist beach, officials said Friday.
Ecology
Nov 22, 2024
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Gabon forest elephant forays into villages spark ire
In heavily forested Gabon, elephants are increasingly wandering into villages and destroying crops, angering the local population who demand the power to stop the critically endangered animals in their tracks.
Ecology
Nov 22, 2024
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More news
Study reveals RNA's unknown role in DNA damage repair
AI tool can engineer 'better, faster, stronger' proteins
DNA repair by cooperation between proteins: A look inside the cell's repair hub
New structure gives insight into mRNA export and cancers, and how viruses hijack the process to infect their host
New method uses AI to design artificial proteins
Human ancestor Lucy still has secrets 50 years after discovery
Transparent worms with glowing proteins may help fertility treatments
3D snapshots unveil the intricate dance of RNA folding
Other news
Niagara fireball event leads to discovery of tiniest known asteroid
Prototype lenses can block epileptic-seizure causing wavelengths
Scientists develop novel high-fidelity quantum computing gate
Aquaculture researchers decode the genome of the African catfish to advance modern breeding approaches
