Research news on laboratory experiments

Laboratory experiments are controlled empirical methods conducted in artificial or semi-artificial settings to isolate, manipulate, and measure specific variables under reproducible conditions. They typically involve systematic variation of one or more independent variables while holding extraneous factors constant, enabling causal inference about their effects on dependent variables. Experimental designs may include control groups, randomization, blinding, and standardized protocols to minimize bias and confounding. Laboratory experiments are widely used across natural and social sciences to test hypotheses, validate theoretical models, calibrate instruments, and generate high-precision data, often serving as a precursor to field studies or in vivo applications where environmental control is more limited.

Like humans, great apes think differently from each other

For decades, scientists have been studying the cognition of great apes to understand how our own complex cognitive abilities evolved. Much of the research is based on the idea that if a particular ability—like using gestures ...

How wax moth larvae can help reduce animal testing in research

Researchers at the Helmholtz Institute for One Health (HIOH) have demonstrated that larvae of the greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella, are suitable as an alternative infection model for investigating the pathogenicity of ...

Plants could be used to grow medicines in space, study shows

Astronauts on long space missions may one day use plants to produce fresh stocks of medicines on demand, thanks to new research by engineers at the University of California San Diego. The team developed a simple method to ...

Zebrafish microbiome model enhanced by simple trick

A new advance in animal husbandry involving a popular aquarium fish should speed the pace of discovery in laboratory studies of host-microbe interactions, researchers report. The new findings by researchers from the University ...

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