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.....»»
Treatment with smoke can favor seed germination in Brazil"s Cerrado biome
For thousands of years, plants have evolved in the presence of wildfires in the Cerrado, Brazil's savanna-like biome. Scientists at São Paulo State University (UNESP) studied the effect of smoke on seed germination for 44 plant species typical of th.....»»
Ancient Antarctic microorganisms are aggressive predators
In Antarctica there is a small lake, called Deep Lake, that is so salty it remains ice-free all year round despite temperatures as low as -20°C in winter. Archaea, a unique type of single-celled microorganism, thrive in this bitterly cold environmen.....»»
Penguin wing fossil shows importance of Zealandia in penguin evolution
Three small fossil penguin bones, collected in South Canterbury in 1987, are now shedding new light on how penguin wings have evolved. A new study, published in the Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand, describes a new species of penguin that.....»»
Monarch butterflies need help, and research shows a little bit of milkweed goes a long way
Monarch butterflies, with their striking orange and black wings, are some of the most recognizable butterflies in North America. But they're in trouble......»»
Inbred-parent–based cassava hybrids promise enhanced efficiency and resilience
A research team has proposed inbred-parent–based hybrid cassava breeding to overcome the challenges of heterozygous parent use, aiming to transform cassava breeding by purging deleterious mutations and utilizing heterosis. This approach leverages s.....»»
Ghosts of species past: Shedding new light on the demise of NZ"s moa can help other flightless birds
New Zealand was once home to giant flightless birds called moa. They had grown accustomed to life without predators. So the arrival of humans in the mid-13th century presented a massive—and ultimately insurmountable—challenge to their existence......»»
Editorial: Biden"s withdrawal leaves industry wondering whether Kamala Harris has evolved on EVs, climate change
Kamala Harris owes the industry and voters some answers on whether she still believes in the $10 trillion climate plan she proposed in 2019 that called for an industrywide transition to EVs by 2035......»»
Telomere-to-telomere genome assembly research opens the door to new crop varieties
Completely new crop varieties which can better withstand drought, salinity and pests are within reach thanks to international genomics research published today in Nature Genetics......»»
Low-intensity grassland is better able to withstand the consequences of climate change
Climate change will have a considerable influence on the biodiversity and productivity of meadows and pastures. However, according to the results of the large-scale climate and land use experiment, the extent of these changes depends on the land use......»»
Cyber insurance 2.0: The systemic changes required for future security
Digitalization has evolved into a systemic risk for organizations – and, therefore, cyber insurers. With the global cost of cybercrime skyrocketing, something has to change. In this Help Net Security video, Vishaal Hariprasad, CEO at Resilience, di.....»»
New nanoparticle delivery method targets sickle cell mutations in bone marrow
Current gene therapies to treat sickle cell disease are complex, time-consuming, and are sometimes linked to serious side effects like infertility or blood cancer. To address these challenges, Johns Hopkins researchers have developed special nanopart.....»»
Unlocking the genetic code of Amur grape: Insights into plant cold tolerance and evolution
The Amur grape, indigenous to eastern Asia, is known for its remarkable cold tolerance, able to withstand temperatures as low as -40°C. Despite its significant potential for breeding and agricultural applications, the absence of high-quality genomic.....»»
Microbial structures in Antarctic lake could reveal more about how life evolved
In the depths of remote Antarctic lakes, communities of microorganisms are thriving where few life forms can survive. Scientists are studying structures formed by these communities to understand more about microscopic life in these extreme environmen.....»»
Modular design: New insights into protein factories in human mitochondria
The "power plants" of living cells, the mitochondria, probably evolved through endosymbiosis: A bacterium migrated into a primordial cell and eventually developed into an organelle that provides the cell with energy, among other things. Mitochondria.....»»
Ancient microbes offer clues to how complex life evolved
A new study published in Science Advances reveals a surprising twist in the evolutionary history of complex life. Researchers at Queen Mary University of London have discovered that a single-celled organism, a close relative of animals, harbors the r.....»»
Ladybugs: Understanding the beneficial predators among us
Lady beetles, also known as ladybugs, are distinct, varied and abundant, with approximately 500 species in North America and 6,000 worldwide. Their oval, dome-shaped bodies can be colorful and decorative, but the "lady" designation has nothing to do.....»»
Do we really need a radically redesigned Apple Watch?
is turning 10 this year, and although the product has evolved a lot, its design is still very similar to the original introduced in 2014. In recent years, there have been many rumors about a major redesign coming to the Apple Watch – but they neve.....»»
Team develops new one-step method to make multiple edits to a cell"s genome
Genome editing has become a widely adopted technology to modify DNA in cells, allowing scientists to study diseases in the lab and develop therapies that repair disease-causing mutations. However, with current approaches, it's only possible to edit c.....»»
Notepad’s spellcheck and autocorrect are rolling out to everybody after 41 years
It's still bare-bones by most standards, but Notepad has evolved a lot recently. Testing spellcheck in the latest version of Windows Notepad......»»
Pear-derived discovery: A genetic mechanism to fortify crops against drought
A recent study has shed light on a critical genetic mechanism that boosts plants' ability to withstand drought. The research uncovers the role of the transcription factor PbERF3, native to wild pears, which works in concert with the protein PbHsfC1a.....»»