Bread mould avoids infection by mutating its own DNA

Whilst most organisms try to stop their DNA from mutating, scientists from the UK and China have discovered that a common fungus found on bread actively mutates its own DNA as a way of fighting virus-like infections.

Gene found that causes eyes to wither in cavefish

Mexican cavefish spend their entire lives in the dark. With no need for vision, many of them lost functional eyes. In more than 30 varieties of Mexican cavefish, the eyes stop developing as embryos grow into larvae. Although ...

Researchers discover new sex hormone

When University of Ottawa biologists Kim Mitchell and Vance Trudeau began studying the effects of gene mutations in zebrafish, they uncovered new functions that regulate how males and females interact while mating. We sat ...

Scientists shake up balancing act of plant metabolism

Step outside and spring is in full bloom, from red tulips, to pink magnolias to purple lilacs, but how do plants create all that color? The alluring hues that attract pollinators and provide beautiful bouquets begin with ...

Gene switch ENO identified as a tomato fruit regulator

A team of researchers from Spain, Germany and France has identified the gene switch ENO (excessive number of floral organs) as a tomato fruit regulator. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, ...

Study connects specific genes with defective social behavior

Animals rely on group behavior to survive, whether it's fish swimming together to avoid predators or humans sharing knowledge with each other. But despite the importance of such social interactions, scientists do not have ...

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