Lionfishes, within the semantic constraint of a biological genus, most plausibly refer to the genus Pterois (family Scorpaenidae), comprising marine ray-finned fishes characterized by elongated, venomous dorsal, anal, and pelvic spines and conspicuous pectoral fins. Species in this genus are demersal predators, typically inhabiting coral and rocky reefs in the Indo-Pacific, where they use cryptic coloration and slow, hovering locomotion to ambush teleost and invertebrate prey. Pterois venom, delivered via spines, contains heat-labile proteinaceous toxins that induce intense pain and systemic effects in vertebrates. Several species, notably Pterois volitans and Pterois miles, are also model organisms for invasion biology due to their rapid spread and ecological impacts in the western Atlantic and Caribbean.
Investigating a common gene in three very different species—salamanders, mice and zebrafish—scientists have discovered the potential for a novel gene therapy aimed at eventually regrowing limbs in humans, according to new ...
Biotechnology
Apr 16, 2026
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35
Understanding how genes are switched on and off in specific cell types remains one of biology's central challenges. While AI has made major progress in decoding the regulatory logic of DNA, applying these approaches across ...
Biotechnology
Apr 2, 2026
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10
Using zebrafish, researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University (OMU) have identified the tegmentum region in the fish midbrain as the area where light input from both the fish's eyes and the pineal organ—the "third eye"—is ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 30, 2026
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14
Scientists have long observed that embryos of different species within a phylum look quite distinct at early and late developmental stages but resemble one another more during mid-embryogenesis, a phenomenon known as developmental ...
Evolution
Mar 16, 2026
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13
How does a tiny cluster of cells become an embryo with a head, trunk, and tail? And how do thousands of genes coordinate this development? A new imaging method makes it possible to visualize the activity of thousands of genes ...
Cell & Microbiology
Mar 12, 2026
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Stopping viruses before they strike is a key challenge in public health. A research team led by Associate Professor Li Dan from the Department of Food Science and Technology at National University of Singapore's Faculty of ...
Cell & Microbiology
Mar 10, 2026
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18
Fruit flies, mice, zebrafish, yeast and the tiny worm C. elegans are model organisms that have carried modern biology on their backs.
Biotechnology
Mar 1, 2026
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82
Multicellularity is one of the most profound phenomena in biology, and relies on the ability of a single cell to reorganize itself into a complex organism. It underpins the diversity in the animal kingdom, from insects to ...
Cell & Microbiology
Feb 12, 2026
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20
An upside-down jellyfish drifts in a shallow lagoon, rhythmically contracting its translucent bell. By night that beat drops from roughly 36 pulses a minute to nearer 30, and the animal slips into a state that, despite its ...
Plants & Animals
Jan 31, 2026
0
108
Life begins with a single fertilized cell that gradually transforms into a multicellular organism. This process requires precise coordination; otherwise, the embryo could develop serious complications. Scientists at ISTA ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jan 5, 2026
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