New species of cobra-like snake discovered, but it may already be extinct
Around the world, natural history museums hold a treasure trove of knowledge about Earth's animals. But much of the precious information is sealed off to genetic scientists because formalin, the chemical often used to preserve specimens, damages DNA.....»»
Small "no-take zone" can help protect critically endangered hammerhead shark in Columbia
Researchers are advocating for a "no-take zone" off the coast of Colombia after one of the world's smallest and most threatened hammerhead species was found to do very little traveling outside of a Marine Protected Area in the region......»»
Exoplanets could be hiding their atmospheres
Most of the exoplanets we've discovered orbit red dwarf stars. This isn't because red dwarfs are somehow special, simply that they are common. About 75% of the stars in the Milky Way are red dwarfs, so you would expect red dwarf planets to be the mos.....»»
How a bacterial pathogen that causes dysentery manipulates molecular activity to assure its survival
Virginia Tech researchers have learned how bacteria manipulate molecules to infect the host organism. Daniel Capelluto and his research team have discovered the mechanism by which the bacterial pathogen Shigella flexneri, the causative agent of dysen.....»»
Copper-based nanocapsules shown to enhance radiotherapy effectiveness
In a study published in Nature Nanotechnology, researchers discovered that cuproptosis may serve as a new target for radiosensitization in re-irradiation......»»
New database covers distribution and evolutionary history of megadiverse flowering plant family on isolated islands
Asteraceae, a family of flowering plants, are the most diverse group of flowering plants in the world. This plant family comprises about 34,000 species. An international research team with the participation of the University of Göttingen has now com.....»»
Team develops gene editing strategy for macroalgae Neopyropia
Neopyropia is an important economic macroalga and is one of the main macroalgae cultivation species in China, Japan, South Korea and other countries. As a critical juncture in the evolution of photosynthetic organisms, red algae to which Neopyropia b.....»»
Astronomers just detected the biggest black hole jets ever seen—and named them Porphyrion
The largest known black hole jets, 23 million light years across, have been discovered in the distant universe. This pair of particle beams launched by a supermassive black hole is over a hundred times larger than our galaxy, the Milky Way......»»
Love island: Bird"s refusal to leave resort life leads to genetic change
A little yellow-and-white bird that prefers to date its mates in an idyllic island lifestyle rather than fly to the mainland to mingle is an example of avian species evolution in action, according to new Australian research......»»
Genetic tracing at the Huanan Seafood market further supports COVID animal origins
A new international collaborative study provides a list of the wildlife species present at the market from which SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, most likely arose in late 2019. The study is based on a new analysis of meta.....»»
Scientists discover an unexpected involvement of sodium transport in mitochondrial energy generation
The GENOXPHOS (Functional Genetics of the Oxidative Phosphorylation System) group at the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC) has discovered a crucial role of sodium in the generation of cellular energy......»»
Moderate levels of exotic species invasions may help maintain biodiversity, study suggests
Globally, more than 13,000 plant species, equivalent to the entire native flora of Europe, have been naturalized outside their native ranges. A study, jointly conducted by scientists from China and the U.S., provides new insights about biodiversity,.....»»
New technique zeros in on the genes that snakes use to produce venom
Only about 10% of the world's roughly 4,000 snake species have venom strong enough to seriously hurt a human, but that's enough for snake bites to be an important public health concern. To help better understand how snakes make their venom and how ve.....»»
Study identifies possible novel species in fish genus endemic to Neotropics
With 84 species currently described, Characidium may be the most diverse fish genus known to science. This is the conclusion reached by Brazilian scientists after analyzing more than 4,400 specimens of this genus of South American darters endemic to.....»»
Oh good, a new species of ‘horror wasp’ is invading the US
Oh good, a new species of ‘horror wasp’ is invading the US.....»»
Researchers spot largest black hole jets ever discovered
The jets are 140 times larger than the Milky Way. Enlarge / Artist's conception of a dark matter filament containing a galaxy with large jets. (Caltech noted that some details of this image were created using AI.) (credit: Martij.....»»
Another new wasp species discovered by researchers
A newly identified wasp species, Chrysonotomyia susbelli, has been discovered in Houston, Texas, marking the 18th new species identified by Rice University's Scott Egan and his research team since 2014. The discovery, the fourth wasp species found on.....»»
Scientists have found evidence of past extreme solar storms—they could be disastrous for technology-based society
In September 1859, the same year that Darwin published "On the Origin of Species," telegraph systems across Europe and North America stopped working and started sparking, leading to fires in some cases......»»
"Emergency" declared over falling UK butterfly numbers
Conservationists on Wednesday voiced concern at a fall in the number of butterflies found in the UK, declaring a "butterfly emergency" and calling for greater protections for under-threat species......»»
Scientists find new epigenetic switch, revealing how genes are regulated in early development
The team of Professor Christof Niehrs at the Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB) in Mainz, Germany, has discovered that a DNA modification called 5-formylcytosine (5fC) functions as an activating epigenetic switch that kick-starts genes in early emb.....»»
Ocean waves grow way beyond known limits, new research finds
Scientists have discovered that ocean waves may become far more extreme and complex than previously imagined......»»