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Versatile Molecule with a New Role in Genome Maintenance

A multi-institutional team of researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology has uncovered a hitherto unidentified function for RNA.

22 Nov 2024

Innovative Approach Reveals Brain Evolution Through Ancient DNA Methylation

This research introduces a novel method for inferring DNA methylation patterns in non-skeletal tissues from ancient specimens, providing new insights into human evolution.

21 Nov 2024

Study Reveals Mystery Behind Extra Genes in Coronaviruses

Viruses are lean, mean, infection machines. Their genomes are tiny, usually limited to a handful of absolutely essential genes, and they shed extra genomic deadweight extremely fast.

20 Nov 2024

Discovery of Oldest Known Ecdysozoan Sheds Light on Animal Evolution

Everyone has a past. That includes the millions of species of insects, arachnids, and nematode worms that make up a major animal group called the Ecdysozoa.

19 Nov 2024

Scientists Capture Viral Infection Process Using Light Microscope

The COVID-19 pandemic led to heightened public interest in learning about viruses and how they can cause diseases.

15 Nov 2024

Researchers Uncover Valuable Genetic Diversity in Barley Pangenome

Reliable crop yields fueled the rise of human civilizations. As people embraced a new way of life, cultivated plants, too, had to adapt to the needs of their domesticators.

14 Nov 2024

New Bioluminescent Proteins Enable Excitation-Free Imaging in Living Organisms

Bioluminescence is the natural chemical process of light creation in some living creatures that makes fireflies flicker and some jellyfish glow.

14 Nov 2024

Genomic Insights into the Evolution of Plant Defense Strategies

Pathogens can significantly reduce the fitness of their hosts, sometimes even leading to host mortality.

8 Nov 2024

New Understanding of the Evolution of Multicellular Life

In 2017, the single-celled species Chromosphaera perkinsii was found in maritime sediments in Hawaii. More than a billion years ago, long before the first animals appeared on Earth, the earliest indications of its existence were found.

7 Nov 2024

How Marmoset Brains Grow Smarter with Help from Many Caregivers

Findings from marmoset studies highlight the role of social interactions in brain development, providing clues to the evolution of human social skills.

7 Nov 2024

Tracking to Theory: Biologging’s Role in Answering Ecology’s Big Questions

Biologging integrates sensors with wildlife research, enhancing understanding of animal physiology and ecosystem dynamics for improved conservation strategies.

6 Nov 2024

Unveiling the Metabolic Strategies of Deep-Sea Coral-Associated Bacteria

Two incredible bacterial species have been found in the tissue of two deep-sea corals from the Gulf of Mexico by a German-American research team headed by Dr. Samuel Vohsen from Lehigh University in the USA and Professor Dr. Iliana Baums from the Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity at the University of Oldenburg (HIFMB).

5 Nov 2024

Novel Approach to Isolating and Quantifying EV Cargo for Disease Diagnosis

Parkinson's disease (PD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) are examples of brain illnesses that begin to develop in patients far earlier than the onset of their initial clinical symptoms.

4 Nov 2024

ALDH3A2 Enzyme Controls Red-Yellow Pigment Balance in Parrots

A single enzyme fine-tunes red and yellow pigments in parrots' polychromatic plumage, according to a new study. The findings reveal new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the evolution and display of color variation in one of nature's most colorful birds. Colors play a central role in ecological adaptation and communication in the natural world.

4 Nov 2024

Research Pushes Back Asteriidae's Evolutionary Timeline Significantly

A study published in PeerJ Life and Environment has reshaped our understanding of the evolutionary history of sea stars, particularly the family Asteriidae. The study, titled Phylogenetic and taxonomic revisions of Jurassic sea stars support a delayed evolutionary origin of the Asteriidae, introduces new findings that challenge longstanding assumptions about the evolutionary timeline of these marine invertebrates.

1 Nov 2024

Biologgers Enhance Understanding of Animal Behavior in Nature

Biologgers allow us to see with unprecedented precision how animals move and behave in the wild. But that's only part of the picture, according to a UC Santa Cruz ecologist renowned for using biologging data to tell the deeper story about the lives of marine mammals in a changing world.

1 Nov 2024