How Galápagos finches evade a parasitic fly
Darwin's finches on the Galápagos Islands are once again providing insights into the theory of evolution, with two Flinders University studies investigating their dealings with a parasitic fly......»»
Inspired by Spider-Man, researchers recreate web-slinging technology
Every kid who has read a comic book or watched a Spider-Man movie has tried to imagine what it would be like to shoot a web from their wrist, fly over streets, and pin down villains. Researchers at Tufts University took those imaginary scenes serious.....»»
SpaceX could launch Starship on 5th test flight much earlier than expected
The FAA told SpaceX last month that it wouldn't be able to fly the Starship until late November, but suddenly a much earlier launch date seems possible......»»
Reconstruction of fruit fly"s anterior visual pathway may lead to insights into animal navigation
UC Santa Barbara neuroscientists have reconstructed the entire anterior visual pathway of a fruit fly, a complex series of connections between the insect's eyes and the navigation center of its brain......»»
SCOTUS denial ends saga of Shkreli’s infamous 5,000% drug price scheme
The Supreme Court offered no explanation for denying the petition. The legal saga over Martin Shkreli's infamous 5,000 percent price hike of a life-saving anti-parasitic drug has.....»»
Scientists decode brain mechanisms of stopping in Drosophila
Ever wish you could stop that fruit fly on your kitchen counter in its tracks? Scientists at Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience have created flies that halt under red light. In doing so, they discovered the precise neural mechanisms involv.....»»
First map of every neuron in an adult brain has been produced for a fruit fly
The first wiring diagram of every neuron in an adult brain and the 50 million connections between them has been produced for a fruit fly......»»
Humbug damselfish use "motion dazzle" to evade predators
When thinking of animal camouflage, we typically imagine creatures remaining still, blending seamlessly into their surroundings. But remaining motionless isn't always practical, and many animals are highly mobile, constantly moving through their envi.....»»
Jellyfish under attack: Study uncovers parasitic spillover of a burrowing sea anemone
Many marine organisms, like sea anemones, struggle to spread across the ocean, especially if they lack long, mobile larval stages. Unlike their jellyfish relatives, sea anemones do not have a medusa stage, making their dispersal challenging. Their on.....»»
Mapping the sex life of malaria parasites at single cell resolution reveals genetics underlying transmission
Malaria is caused by a eukaryotic microbe of the Plasmodium genus, and is responsible for more deaths than all other parasitic diseases combined. In order to transmit from the human host to the mosquito vector, the parasite has to differentiate into.....»»
Engineers design lookalike drug nanocarrier to evade lung"s lines of defense
A drug-carrying molecule designed to cure disease by slipping past the lung's natural defenses offers new hope for people with chronic or deadly respiratory diseases, say its creators, researchers in assistant professor Liheng Cai's Soft Biomatter La.....»»
Malware-as-a-Service and Ransomware-as-a-Service lower barriers for cybercriminals
The sophistication of cyber threats has escalated dramatically, with malicious actors’ deploying advanced tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) to exploit vulnerabilities and evade detection, according to Darktrace. Subscription-based tools su.....»»
Fungi adapt cell walls to evade antifungal drugs
Every year, life-threatening invasive fungal infections afflict more than 2 million individuals globally. Mortality rates for these infections are high, even when patients receive treatment......»»
The Highly Infectious FLiRT Variants Behind the Summer Covid Wave
The latest dominant Covid variants have stronger infectiousness than their predecessors and the ability to evade vaccine-induced antibodies......»»
Advanced imaging reveals how a parasitic "kiss" alters cell metabolism
Toxoplasma gondii is a parasite responsible for toxoplasmosis, a lifelong chronic infection prevalent in about 30% of the human population. It poses little harm to healthy individuals, but can result in severe consequences for immunocompromised peopl.....»»
DNA analysis reveals that there are more species of parasitoid wasps than anticipated
When Charles Darwin first encountered parasitoid wasps, he was horrified. In an 1860 letter to American botanist Asa Gray, he wrote: "I cannot persuade myself that a beneficent and omnipotent God would have designedly created parasitic wasps with the.....»»
Ransomware operators shift tactics as law enforcement disruptions increase
Ransomware remains one of the most pressing cybersecurity threats in 2024, with attackers continually evolving their methods to maximize impact and evade detection. In this Help Net Security round-up, we present excerpts from previously recorded vide.....»»
Heatmaps show trematodes congregate in certain parts of amphibians" bodies, often to dire physical consequences
Trematodes, also known as flukes, are a class of parasitic flatworms with intricate lifecycles. This makes them interesting to scientists, but they are also significant to both human health and wildlife conservation......»»
In Defense of Parasitic Worms
Nature can’t run without parasites, and climate change is driving some to extinction. What happens when they start to disappear?.....»»
Researchers discovery family of natural compounds that selectively kill parasites
An international team led by researchers at the University of Toronto has found a family of natural compounds with potential as new and more effective treatments for parasitic worms. The compounds stall the unique metabolic process that worms use to.....»»
Scientists find ancient, endangered lamprey fish in Queensland, 1400 km north of its previous known range
The Australian brook lamprey (Mordacia praecox) is part of a group of primitive jawless fish. It's up to 15 cm long, with rows of sharp teeth. Surprisingly, it doesn't use these teeth to suck blood like most lamprey species—it's non-parasitic......»»