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Visually responsive neurons in zebrafish are arranged in a map to efficiently catch prey

Spotting, pursuing and catching prey - for many animals this is an essential task for survival. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology now show in zebrafish that the localization of neurons in the midbrain is adapted to a successful hunting sequence.

20 Oct 2020

Researchers develop new method to advance wildlife genomics

A team of scientists from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW), the Australian Museum, and the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) report a new method for identifying any genome sequence located next to a known sequence.

20 Oct 2020

Synthetic signals could help control tissue regeneration

For a tiny embryo to develop into an adult organism, its cells must develop in precise patterns and interact with their neighbors in carefully orchestrated ways.

16 Oct 2020

Researchers discover how specific molecules promote cancer progression

The development of cancer is a highly complicated process, involving multiple genes and signaling pathways that become upregulated or downregulated throughout different stages of tumor growth and spread. Two of the most commonly altered genes in cancer are p53 and AKT.

16 Oct 2020

Researchers assess heat-stress tolerance of different varieties of sweet potato

Climate change poses a threat to the world's subsistence crops. Heatwaves, which are likely to intensify according to climate evolution predictions, are generating levels of heat stress that are damaging to agricultural production.

15 Oct 2020

Study sheds light on whether corals are genetically equipped to handle warmer oceans

In 1998, ocean temperatures soared, and the world experienced its first significant coral bleaching event. From the Great Barrier Reef to Indonesia to Central America, corals turned white and ghostly.

15 Oct 2020

A new protein discovered that repairs DNA

Researchers have identified a new protein that makes it possible to repair DNA. The protein in question is called cryptochrome.

15 Oct 2020

Researchers discover new gene involved in the architecture of grass inflorescence

The “spikelet meristem,” or SM for short, has a crucial role to play during the development of the grass inflorescence.

14 Oct 2020

Genomes provide insights into fig-wasp coevolution

Banyan trees are fig trees that begin their life as an epiphyte. The most noticeable feature of banyan Ficus species is their extraordinary aerial roots, which enable them to live as hemi-epiphytes, as do the strangler figs often seen in tropical forests.

12 Oct 2020

Microbial electrosynthesis coupled with a renewable energy supply for recycling carbon dioxide

Semiconductive photocatalysts that efficiently absorb solar energy could help reduce the energy required to drive a bioelectrochemical process that converts CO2 emissions into valuable chemicals, KAUST researchers have shown.

7 Oct 2020

Insufficient food supply causes animals to engage in higher-risk behavior

Whether animals are investigating new habitats or looking for new food sources, they always have a risk of being caught and killed by predators.

6 Oct 2020

Researchers identify new DNA fragment that forms male sex organs in mice

Researchers have identified a new piece of DNA that is crucial for the formation of male sex organs. This discovery may require the revisal of biology textbooks.

5 Oct 2020

New mobile app analyzes SARS-CoV-2 genome on a smartphone

A new mobile app has made it possible to analyse the genome of the SARS-CoV-2 virus on a smartphone in less than half an hour.

30 Sep 2020

Study explains the organization of genetic information contained within mitochondria

Mitochondria creates energy for cells, and are called the “powerhouse". The genetic information is present within the mitochondria for making this energy.

30 Sep 2020

New precision drug targeting cancer's ability to repair DNA shows promise

A new precision drug which stops cancer from repairing its DNA has shown promise in an early-stage clinical trial - highlighting the potential of a new class of drugs known as ATR inhibitors.

29 Sep 2020

Researchers find way to engineer more efficient versions of plant enzyme

Researchers have found a way to engineer more efficient versions of the plant enzyme Rubisco by using a red-algae-like Rubisco from a bacterium.

29 Sep 2020

Biodiversity increases plant decomposition rate

The afterlife of plant matter plays a significant role in ecosystems, as a key processor and provider of key nutrients.

29 Sep 2020

Researchers sequence the genome of original penicillin strain

For the first time, scientists have sequenced the genome of Alexander Fleming’s penicillin mould and compared it to the later models.

25 Sep 2020

Researchers discover how antibiotic resistance genes spread via plasmids

For the first time, researchers have discovered how antibiotic resistance genes are spreading, at a continental scale, via bacterial plasmids in the hospital superbug, Klebsiella pneumoniae.

25 Sep 2020

Scientists uncover new parvovirus strategy for reaching the cell nucleus

Researchers at the Institut national de la recherche scientifique, in collaboration with American scientists, have uncovered a new parvovirus strategy for reaching the cell nucleus which is their site of replication.

25 Sep 2020