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Biology news
'Living' ceramics utilize bacteria for gas sensing and carbon capture
A team of materials scientists and chemists at ETH Zürich has developed a way to make "living" ceramics that can detect small amounts of formaldehyde and capture carbon dioxide from the air. In their project, reported in ...
Discovery of enzyme pathway may lead to lifesaving leishmaniasis treatments
A breakthrough in understanding how a single-cell parasite makes ergosterol (its version of cholesterol) could lead to more effective drugs for human leishmaniasis, a parasitic disease that afflicts about 1 million people ...
Cell & Microbiology
3 hours ago
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13
Study reveals right whales live 130 years—or more
New research published in Science Advances reveals that right whales can survive for more than 130 years—almost twice as long as previously understood.
Plants & Animals
3 hours ago
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14
Wireless antennas harness light to decode cellular communication signals
Monitoring electrical signals in biological systems helps scientists understand how cells communicate, which can aid in the diagnosis and treatment of conditions like arrhythmia and Alzheimer's.
Cell & Microbiology
3 hours ago
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6
Heterogeneous host populations drive evolution of more virulent pathogens, modeling study shows
The evolution of pathogens has received attention in a wide range of scientific fields, such as epidemiology, demography, and evolutionary ecology. Understanding pathogen evolution is particularly urgent for rapidly evolving ...
Evolution
4 hours ago
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1
Cyanobacteria research unlocks potential for renewable plastics from carbon dioxide
Scientists at The University of Manchester have achieved a significant breakthrough in using cyanobacteria—commonly known as "blue-green algae"—to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) into valuable bio-based materials.
Cell & Microbiology
4 hours ago
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57
The secret life of ALAS1: Basic science discovery could the pave way for better small interfering RNA therapies
In everyday life, when things turn out the opposite of what you expect, it's usually a cause for frustration. In science, it's often the starting point for discovery.
Molecular & Computational biology
5 hours ago
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9
Ferns' ancient resilience aids modern ecosystem recovery after disasters
Scientists have suggested an updated framework for the role of ferns in environmental recovery from disaster. Instead of competing with other organisms, ferns may act as facilitators that ease the way for other plants and ...
Ecology
6 hours ago
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33
Scientists steer the development of stem cells to regenerate and repair organs
Investigators from Cedars-Sinai and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) have identified a new way to deliver instructions that tell stem cells to grow into specific bodily structures, a critical step in eventually ...
Cell & Microbiology
6 hours ago
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15
Programming cells: New RNA tool enhances precision in synthetic genetic circuits
Researchers have successfully developed a modular synthetic translational coupling element (SynTCE), significantly enhancing the precision and integration density of genetic circuits in synthetic biology. Their study was ...
Biotechnology
6 hours ago
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64
Global study reveals phenological divergence between plants and animals under climate change
A collaborative study reveals the distinct mechanisms by which plants and animals respond to climate change in their life-cycle phenology. This research, led by Piao Shilong's team and Zhang Yao's team from the Institute ...
Plants & Animals
6 hours ago
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1
Simulations of hominin Lucy help show how long distance running evolved in modern humans
A team of natural scientists, musculoskeletal specialists, and evolutionary biologists affiliated with several institutions in the U.K., working with a colleague from the Netherlands, has found via simulations, that the famous ...
Genetically encoded biosensors measure living cells' charge in real time
Biological cells have many vital functions in the organism. For example, they produce proteins, carbohydrates and fats. But they are also responsible for detoxifying harmful molecules and transmitting signals and immune defense ...
Cell & Microbiology
6 hours ago
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52
The science behind Christmas trees: How conifers brave winter's worst
As the festive season approaches, evergreen conifers like spruce and pine adorn homes worldwide. But while Christmas trees bring warmth and joy into our lives, they endure some of the harshest conditions on Earth in their ...
Plants & Animals
7 hours ago
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5
Grapevine protein resembles animal ion transport function, researchers discover
Researchers at the University of Adelaide have discovered that a protein which mediates the transport of alkali metal ions, such as potassium, and halide ions across plant membranes acts similarly to a protein found in animals.
Molecular & Computational biology
7 hours ago
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66
Growing safer spuds: Removing toxins from potatoes
Scientists have discovered a way to remove toxic compounds from potatoes, making them safer to eat and easier to store. The breakthrough could cut food waste and enhance crop farming in space and other extreme environments.
Biotechnology
7 hours ago
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27
Sea snakes regain advanced color vision, recovering a complex trait once lost to evolutionary time
Nine species of sea snakes have now been identified as having regained the genetic requirements for advanced color vision, demonstrating that once a complex trait has been lost to evolutionary time, it may be regained in ...
Evolution
8 hours ago
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1
Mitigating animal-vehicle collisions with field sensors, AI and ecological modeling
Collisions between animals and vehicles are a threat to conservation efforts and human safety, and have a massive cost for transport infrastructure managers and users.
Ecology
5 hours ago
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1
Russia-Ukraine War's unexpected casualties: Hungry people in distant nations
The war in Ukraine is causing hunger thousands of miles from the battlefields, according to a study in Communications Earth & Environment. Nearly three years of war in the "breadbasket of the world" has left croplands destroyed ...
Agriculture
12 hours ago
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53
Giant sloths and mastodons lived with humans for millennia in the Americas, new discoveries suggest
Sloths weren't always slow-moving, furry tree-dwellers. Their prehistoric ancestors were huge—up to 4 tons (3.6 metric tons)—and when startled, they brandished immense claws.
Paleontology & Fossils
13 hours ago
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