Monarchs evolved mutations to withstand milkweed toxins; so did their predators
Monarch butterflies and their close relatives thrive on poisonous milkweed, thanks to genetic mutations that block the effects of the plant's toxins while allowing the poisons to accumulate in the caterpillar or adult insects as deterrents to hungry.....»»
Q&A: Searching for life where it shouldn"t exist
A team of Penn State scientists is working to solve one of the world's greatest unsolved mysteries: how life originated on Earth—and how it might have evolved on other planets......»»
Researchers advance understanding of why cell parts look the way they do
Scientists have long understood that parts of cells, called organelles, evolved to have certain shapes and sizes because their forms are closely related to how they function. Now, Johns Hopkins researchers have developed a bacteria-based tool to test.....»»
Anti-viral drug backfires: COVID drug linked to viral mutations that spread
Merck's small-molecule molnupiravir linked to mutated viruses that spread in people. Enlarge / A worker handles a bottle of Merck & Co. and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics LPs molnupiravir antiviral medication in a warehouse in Shoha.....»»
Double trouble: Infamous "eagle killer" bacterium produces not one, but two toxins
The cyanobacterium Aetokthonos hydrillicola produces not just one, but two highly potent toxins. In the latest issue of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), an international team led by Martin Luther University Halle-Wi.....»»
Bacterial biosensors: The future of analyte detection
Scientists can do some nifty things with microbes, including engineering bacterial cells to sense and signal the presence of specific compounds. These microbial whole-cell biosensors have numerous purposes, from detecting toxins in the environment to.....»»
Video: Student engineers develop early warning system for blue-green algae
With temperatures rising due to global warming, blue-green algae blooms have become increasingly common on Alberta lakes. Early detection is crucial because the algae produce toxins that can be harmful to humans and animals......»»
Mussels able to adjust heart rate to cope with marine heat waves
Mussels are among the ultimate superfoods, high in vitamin B12, omega-3 and great for the heart. Now, new research shows they are also likely to withstand marine heat waves by adjusting their body functions......»»
A fossil jumping spider"s 15-million-year journey
Jumping spiders (Salticidae) are a recently evolved family of spiders. They are known for their distinctive large eyes and ability to jump long distances relative to their small size. Australia has about 1,200 to 1,500 species of this spider family......»»
New origin story for key regulatory gene: PRC2 repressed jumping genes in ancestors of eukaryotes
The key protein complex PRC2 was discovered decades ago to silence genes, but new findings by Frederic Berger and his group at the Gregor Mendel Institute show that PRC2 represses transposons in a range of eukaryotes and only gradually evolved to sil.....»»
Dingoes found to have more harmful mutations than most inbred dog breeds
Genome sequencing comparisons with wolves, strays and dogs across the world has found Australia's dingoes have the highest loads of harmful mutations—and diversity levels that are 36% lower than the most inbred dogs......»»
Xbox exec says leaked “old emails and documents” have “outdated” info
Spencer: Real plans have "evolved" from what's in docs Microsoft accidentally shared. Enlarge / Microsoft's Phil Spencer speaks at the DICE conference in Las Vegas. (credit: Kyle Orland) Yesterday's massive leaks from th.....»»
Google AI tool predicts danger of genetic mutations
Researchers at Google DeepMind, the tech giant's artificial intelligence arm, on Tuesday introduced a tool that predicts whether genetic mutations are likely to cause harm, a breakthrough that could help research into rare diseases......»»
How bats evolved to avoid cancer
A new paper titled "Long-read sequencing reveals rapid evolution of immunity and cancer-related genes in bats" in Genome Biology and Evolution shows that rapid evolution in bats may account for the animals' extraordinary ability to both host and surv.....»»
Deepwatch platform enhancements improve cyber resiliency for businesses
Deepwatch announced new enhancements to the Deepwatch Managed Security Platform that improve the ability for companies to anticipate, respond, recover, and withstand future cyber threats while continuously improving business resiliency. The new platf.....»»
DeepMind’s New AI Can Predict Genetic Diseases
AlphaMissense, a new model from Google’s artificial intelligence team, analyzes the effects of DNA mutations and will accelerate research into rare diseases......»»
Researchers discover a new species of larger benthic foraminifer from the Ryukyu islands
Foraminifera are tiny, single-celled organisms that live in the oceans. Their hard shells, made of calcium carbonate, can withstand the test of time and their fossils reveal a lot about Earth's history, including past climates and environments......»»
A NICER approach to genome editing
The gene editing technique CRISPR/Cas9 has allowed researchers to make precise and impactful changes to an organism's DNA to fix mutations that cause genetic disease. However, the CRISPR/Cas9 method can also result in unintended DNA mutations that ma.....»»
Clever lapwings use cover to hide in plain sight
Ground-nesting birds called lapwings use the shape of their nests and surroundings to hide from predators, new research shows......»»
Covid Boosters Can’t Outpace New Mutations. Here’s Why They Still Work
The latest vaccines are designed to target XBB.1.5, the dominant variant throughout much of 2023—until now......»»
Yes, There’s a New Covid Variant. No, You Shouldn’t Panic
The Pirola Covid variant has an alarming number of mutations, but it doesn’t seem to be taking hold or causing severe illness......»»