https://phys.org/biology-news/ en-us Read the latest science news from Phys.org on biology, evolution, microbiology, biotechnology The malaria parasite is able to detect changes in its host's environment and respond by increasing the production of sexual forms capable of being transmitted to mosquitoes. A study led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) identifies the molecular mechanism underlying this process. The findings, published in Nature Microbiology, answer what has been one of the major unanswered questions in malaria research for decades. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-malaria-parasite-boosts-transmission-potential.html Cell & Microbiology Sat, 19 Sep 2026 17:00:05 EDT news708875754 Cells rely on complex signaling networks in which different molecular pathways communicate with one another. Small GTPases act as molecular switches in these networks, controlling diverse cellular processes such as intracellular transport and cell morphogenesis. Although crosstalk between different families of small GTPases is established in animal cells, whether and how such crosstalk occurs in plants has remained largely unknown. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-molecular-bridge-pathways-critical-pollen.html Plants & Animals Sat, 19 Sep 2026 15:00:04 EDT news708868868 Scientists map the hidden protein network that helps red blood cells adapt to oxygen https://phys.org/news/2026-09-protein-reveals-red-blood-cells.html Molecular & Computational biology Sat, 19 Sep 2026 07:40:01 EDT news709006407 A study initiated by Dr. Dan Theodorescu, a physician-scientist at the University of Arizona Cancer Center, revealed that the loss of the Y chromosome in men's body tissue could pave the way for cancer to develop. According to research recently published in JCI Insights, the loss of the chromosome, which is common in men as they age, creates a preneoplastic field effect, a hidden zone of genetic vulnerability in normal tissue that provides fertile ground for cancer to develop. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-loss-chromosome-men-early-cancer.html Molecular & Computational biology Sat, 19 Sep 2026 07:20:01 EDT news709006177 CRISPR may be a powerful technology for gene editing, but the system existed in bacteria long before scientists began using it. For billions of years, CRISPR has acted as a natural immune system in bacteria and other microbes, helping defend them against invading viruses. But now, two new studies, published in Science, describe a similar RNA-guided system that originated in the viruses themselves and appears to be a precursor to CRISPR. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-discovery-crispr-lost-ancestor-gene.html Evolution Fri, 18 Sep 2026 13:20:12 EDT news708950672 During routine beach litter surveys on the subtropical island of Okinawa, Japan, researchers came across small, brightly colored specks in the pale coral rubble. Back at the lab, spectroscopic and microscopic analyses revealed that these specks are, in fact, melted polymers from common household plastics that have seeped inseparably into the skeletal pores of the dead coral pieces. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-plasticorals-coral-rubble-fused-plastic.html Ecology Fri, 18 Sep 2026 12:00:02 EDT news708944281 Cysteine is one of the main building blocks that cells use to make proteins. But this amino acid is a double-edged sword—too much cysteine is toxic to the cell. Cells therefore keep free cysteine levels to a minimum, converting most of the amino acid into the antioxidant glutathione. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-high-amino-acid-cysteine-toxic.html Evolution Fri, 18 Sep 2026 10:27:12 EDT news708945882 Scientists have discovered a new species of wild cat for the first time in more than a century, a Bolivian researcher told AFP on Thursday. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-bolivia-tilcayo-tiger-cat-wildcat.html Plants & Animals Fri, 18 Sep 2026 02:49:43 EDT news708918558 Researchers at the University of Cambridge and the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology have discovered a previously unknown cellular defense system that protects the brain from abnormal glycogen accumulation, which is linked to severe neurological disorders. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-ubiquitin-abnormal-glycogen-destruction-brain.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 17 Sep 2026 19:20:01 EDT news708874201 Scientists have taken a step toward a better understanding of how fungi sense and respond to nutrients in the environment, which is critical for engineering fungi for green technologies and combating fungal pathogens and their resistance to treatments. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-newfound-fungal-nutrient-mechanism-advance.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 17 Sep 2026 18:20:02 EDT news708871682 Researchers at the Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM) have developed microfluidic technology that can grow cells in three dimensions (3D). The goal is to conduct toxicity tests on new products by more accurately simulating living organisms. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-microfluidic-device-simulates-human-tissue.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 17 Sep 2026 17:20:04 EDT news708868411 While the scapula is the primary bone supporting the body in terrestrial quadrupedal mammals, an analysis of internal bone structure in underground moles (family Talpidae) showed a more important role for the clavicle. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-moles-wide-armed-posture-reshapes.html Plants & Animals Thu, 17 Sep 2026 16:20:03 EDT news708865501 Understanding gene regulation may be key to interpreting human disease genetics. Genes are regulated in part by stretches of DNA called enhancers, which define when, where and how strongly each gene is turned on. Mapping enhancers and how they function in specific cell types is necessary for understanding gene regulation and disease-related genetic variants. But the location and activity of enhancers are highly cell type-specific, making it difficult to accurately predict enhancer–gene interactions. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-decoding-dna-gene.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 17 Sep 2026 16:00:11 EDT news708864961 To enter cells, the COVID-19 virus fuses its surrounding membrane with the membrane of the target cell. This is where the fusion peptides of the spike protein come into play. These regions function as molecular keys that allow the virus to open the door to the target cell and initiate fusion between the two membranes. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-spike-keys-sars-cov-cells.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 17 Sep 2026 15:20:13 EDT news708864482 A new study reveals that an important pollinator is rapidly losing genetic diversity in Britain. Moss carder bumblebees were once widespread across the UK, living in flower-rich meadows, marshes and heathlands, where they pollinated a wide variety of plants. However, the loss of these habitats has caused the species to retreat into strongholds along the country's coasts and islands. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-threatened-bumblebee-populations-england-wales.html Ecology Thu, 17 Sep 2026 14:20:21 EDT news708859322 The latest company to spin out of a Stanford Medicine lab is a biotech undertaking with 37,000 employees—and none of them are human. There's no lab space, no lunch breaks and no payroll. It's an artificial intelligence-powered virtual biotech company that's the brainchild of associate professor of biomedical data science James Zou, Ph.D., who is also the principal investigator of a virtual lab that launched in 2025, and graduate student Harrison Zhang. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-virtual-biotech-company-thousands-ai.html Biotechnology Thu, 17 Sep 2026 14:00:10 EDT news708781621 Researchers have discovered 16 new species of fungus living unnoticed inside garden flowers and wildflowers across northern Thailand, more than quintupling the number of such fungi known to occur in the country. The findings are published in the journal IMA Fungus. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-sixteen-fungus-species-thailand.html Ecology Thu, 17 Sep 2026 12:40:17 EDT news708856470 Ask any zoo-goer and they will tell you that capybaras are adorable. Ask a scientist specializing in the rodents, which resemble oversized guinea pigs, and they will tell you they are obligate semiaquatic herbivores that indicate persistent riparian ecosystems. In plain English: Capybaras like it wet. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-capybaras-fossil-atacama-world-oldest.html Ecology Thu, 17 Sep 2026 12:20:24 EDT news708856372 Antarctic krill are tiny shrimp-like creatures that were previously thought to mostly inhabit the upper layer of the Southern Ocean. Although they had occasionally been observed at deeper levels, they were never seen near deep-sea hydrothermal vents until 2024, when a group of oceanographers observed them there for the first time. The team's new study, published in Communications Biology, describes the discovery and why the team thinks pregnant krill may actually be spending a lot of time near hydrothermal vents. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-deep-sea-hydrothermal-vents-hot.html Plants & Animals Thu, 17 Sep 2026 12:20:17 EDT news708863182 In a study published in the journal Nature Communications, researchers from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Forest Research and collaborating organizations present the first-ever European ash (Fraxinus excelsior) pangenome, using high-quality DNA to aid research into natural ash dieback resistance. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-european-ash-pangenome-generation-trees.html Ecology Thu, 17 Sep 2026 11:55:08 EDT news708864782 Populations of the Western honeybee (Apis mellifera) are under immense pressure in the wild in Europe. New research published in Conservation Science and Practice from the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart and Agroscope in Zürich shows that there are frequent occurrences of honeybees in the wild in Europe. However, the researchers estimate that the populations of these bee populations in the European Union (EU) will fall by about 56% within 10 years without the influx of swarms from beekeepers. Therefore, wild honeybees are now officially classified as "endangered" across the EU on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-wild-honeybee-populations-eu-red.html Plants & Animals Thu, 17 Sep 2026 11:20:02 EDT news708854361 A new study combines paleoanthropology and diving physiology to address a fundamental question in human evolution: Why did humans evolve their exceptional aerobic endurance? Did our ancestors begin endurance running to exhaust terrestrial prey, or did breath-hold diving for aquatic resources also play a key role? https://phys.org/news/2026-09-endurance-running-or-diving-which.html Evolution Thu, 17 Sep 2026 11:00:04 EDT news708854355 Some types of marine life appear to have it easy. While exploring thousands of meters below the waves in the Chilean Margin in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, scientists observed tiny shrimp-like crustaceans known as amphipods (Mesopleustes abyssorum) clinging tightly to much larger giant sea spiders (Colossendeis colossea) that were scuttling on the ocean floor. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-deep-sea-crustaceans-caught-hitching.html Plants & Animals Thu, 17 Sep 2026 10:50:01 EDT news708859334 A study led by a doctoral researcher at the University of Liverpool has found that beavers may help restore degraded peatlands by keeping landscapes wetter and making them more resilient to drought. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-beaver-reintroduction-peatland-storage-drought.html Plants & Animals Thu, 17 Sep 2026 10:20:01 EDT news708854161 Scientists are getting a leg up on the rice stink bug, one of the most significant threats to rice, a staple food for nearly half the world's population and a major crop in Arkansas. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-genome-rice-bug-tool-pest.html Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 17 Sep 2026 09:00:01 EDT news708852903 Cephalopods are a group of soft-bodied marine mollusks that include cuttlefish, octopuses, squid and nautiluses. Many of these mollusks have muscular suckers on their arms that allow them to seize prey or grip other surfaces in their surroundings. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-cuttlefish-suckers-reveal-rough-prey.html Plants & Animals Thu, 17 Sep 2026 07:40:04 EDT news708600523 Large-scale oyster reef restoration in the Chesapeake Bay is successfully creating three-dimensional habitats that support larger, more diverse fish communities, according to new research from scientists at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The study, published in Ecosphere, provides compelling evidence that restoration efforts are shifting underwater ecosystems from communities dominated by small, transient schooling fish to those supporting larger, resident species. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-term-oyster-reef-success-murky.html Plants & Animals Wed, 16 Sep 2026 19:50:01 EDT news708796802 The ocean's aphotic zone—the dark, high-pressure region below the surface, where sunlight cannot reach—is home to a vast wealth of microbial life. Yet scientists know relatively little about the genetic makeup, growth and function of many of these enigmatic organisms. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-global-database-reveals-hidden-diversity.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 16 Sep 2026 18:50:01 EDT news708793021 Sexual reproduction usually reshuffles genetic information, creating offspring that differ from their parents. But one small plant takes an unexpected route. In a new study published in Nature, an international team led by André Marques at the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research in Cologne has shown that the Brazilian beak-sedge Rhynchospora tenuis reproduces sexually—producing pollen, fertilizing its egg cells and setting seeds—but has completely lost the reshuffling of DNA between chromosomes from each parent. The offspring retained the same genetic makeup as their mothers, effectively mimicking clonal reproduction. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-brazilian-sedge-sexually-dna-reshuffling.html Plants & Animals Wed, 16 Sep 2026 18:40:04 EDT news708787381 Eastern oyster larvae are only 100–300 micrometers long, but their dense calcium carbonate shells make them substantially heavier than the surrounding seawater. A new study led by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) shows that this excess weight allows gravity to drive the feeding currents the larvae use to bring food to their mouths, a finding that reveals a critical role for gravity in how these tiny animals feed and survive. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-tiny-oyster-larvae-gravity.html Plants & Animals Wed, 16 Sep 2026 18:20:03 EDT news708787143