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Biology news
Why do birds make so many different sounds? A study gets at the underlying factors
Birds make sounds to communicate, whether to find a potential mate, ward off predators, or just sing for pleasure.
Plants & Animals
24 minutes ago
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Tiny microbe colonies may use electrical signaling to coordinate their behavior
A new study published in Science Advances reveals evidence of electrical signaling and coordinated behavior in choanoflagellates, the closest living relatives of animals. This elaborate example of cell communication offers ...
Evolution
1 hour ago
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Killing the competition: Bacteria produce molecules that help viruses infect their rivals
In a new study, researchers at Indiana University Bloomington have discovered a new way that bacteria can kill its competitors in complex microbial communities, revealing novel approaches to leverage viruses to kill harmful ...
Ecology
1 hour ago
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Toxin-antitoxin systems could target invasive and resistant bacteria
In a counterintuitive move, bacteria are known to produce self-destructive toxins. However, they also make antitoxins, and researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) have identified these toxin-antitoxin ...
Cell & Microbiology
1 hour ago
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Scientists unravel how ancient bacteria weave living mats—solving one of nature's oldest mysteries
Scientists have uncovered how cyanobacteria—Earth's first photosynthetic organisms—self-organize into intricate living mats, offering insights into aquatic ecosystems and potential inspiration for material design.
Cell & Microbiology
2 hours ago
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Ash tree variability may offer restoration path post-beetle decimation
The invasive emerald ash borer, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, was first found in the United States in southeast Michigan in 2002. In the decades since, the wood-boring beetle has spread east and west across ...
Ecology
1 hour ago
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Blueberry industry at risk as powdery mildew spreads worldwide
A new North Carolina State University study pinpoints the worldwide spread of a fungus that taints blueberry plants with powdery mildew, a disease that reduces blueberry yield and encourages the use of fungicides to combat ...
Plants & Animals
2 hours ago
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Scientists create scalable solution for analyzing single-cell data
Researchers have amassed vast single-cell gene expression databases to understand how the smallest details impact human biology. However, current analysis methods struggle with the large volume of data and, as a result, produce ...
Cell & Microbiology
2 hours ago
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Uncovering clues to a natural gene-editing technique
Diversity-generating retroelements (DGRs) are found in the genomes of microorganisms across the globe—from the arctic permafrost to Yellowstone's hot springs and the human gut. DGRs are able to reverse-transcribe RNA back ...
Cell & Microbiology
1 hour ago
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Scorching climate drove lampreys apart during Cretaceous period, DNA and fossil record reveal
A new study finds that one of the hottest periods in Earth's history may have driven lampreys apart—genetically speaking. The work could have implications for how aquatic species respond to our current changing climate. ...
Evolution
3 hours ago
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Scientists leverage AI to fast-track methane mitigation strategies in animal agriculture
A new study from USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and Iowa State University (ISU) reveals that generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) can help expedite the search for solutions to reduce enteric methane emissions ...
Biotechnology
3 hours ago
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A quarter of freshwater species face extinction: Study
A quarter of freshwater animals, including fish, insects and crustaceans, are at high risk of extinction due to threats including pollution, dams and farming, according to a new study published on Wednesday.
Ecology
3 hours ago
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Optical tweezer technique reveals novel disease indicators in aging animals
A new method based on optical tweezers can measure viscoelasticity of biological materials in a simpler and more versatile way. In an article published in Nature Nanotechnology, the researchers report three novel results ...
Biotechnology
3 hours ago
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Engineered bacteria break down microplastics in wastewater
Microplastics can go right through wastewater treatment plants, and researchers have engineered bacteria commonly found there to break down this pollution before it can persist in the environment.
Cell & Microbiology
3 hours ago
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Ants hold grudges, study suggests
A team of evolutionary biologists has demonstrated that ants learn from experience. Led by Dr. Volker Nehring, research associate in the Evolutionary Biology and Animal Ecology group at the University of Freiburg, and doctoral ...
Plants & Animals
7 hours ago
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Young salmon may face hungry new competition from juvenile sablefish along northwest coast
There is a new mouth to feed in the coastal waters of the Northwest where juvenile salmon first enter the ocean, and it's a hungry one.
Plants & Animals
7 hours ago
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Why are lemurs nearly extinct, and yet so diverse?
Lemurs, small, big-eyed primates that live in the trees of Madagascar off the southeast coast of Africa, are a mystery of evolution. When the first ones arrived there tens of millions of years ago, they found an island with ...
Evolution
7 hours ago
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The difference between ecotypes and sourced plants in aquatic restoration
A study released by the University of Florida explores the nuanced differences between ecotypes and locally sourced plants for use in aquatic habitat restoration and enhancement projects, offering critical insights into plant ...
Plants & Animals
1 hour ago
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Herbivore or carnivore? A new toolbox for the study of extinct reptiles
Evolution has resulted in the development of both herbivores and carnivores—but how? What type of food did extinct vertebrates eat? And how can we gain insight into the diets of these creatures? In living animals, we can ...
Plants & Animals
4 hours ago
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Just 7% of male humpback whales in New Caledonia may have fathered offspring
A small international team of marine mammal scientists has found evidence that just 7% of the male humpback whales residing near New Caledonia, in the southwest Pacific, may have fathered offspring. For their project, reported ...