For many animals, siblings are a key component of their social environment during early life. Previous research has shown that the early social environment is important, but it has not yet been clear whether the number of siblings or the nature…
Category: 5. Biology
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Big broods, better manners: What a fish study suggests about siblings and social skills
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Early-life challenges and experiences shape how boldly bats behave as adults
What makes one bat take risks and venture far from its roost in search of food, while another stays close to familiar, safer areas? A new study from Tel Aviv University’s School of Zoology reveals that the environment in which a bat is raised…
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Animal muscles inspire biomaterial design for agriculture, fabrics and medicine
Natural muscle fibers are made up of spring-like proteins that can contract and stretch without losing their original form, dissipate mechanical energy as heat and maintain incredible tensile strength for all sorts of physical functions….
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Electrochemical signals can reshape bacterial protein patterns, boosting electron transfer
Sometimes, transporting electrons from one cell to another is a team effort. In electroactive bacteria, that team is a group of proteins that shepherds electrons forward, passing them along like a relay baton, so they can penetrate the thick cell…
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Earliest known writing dates back over 40,000 years
New evidence published today in the journal Proceedings of the National…
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Tuning in to fluorescence to farm smarter: Monitoring plant light use saves indoor farm energy costs
Plant owners with a so-called green thumb often seem to have a more finely tuned sense of what their plants need than the rest of us. A new “smart lighting” system for indoor vertical farms grants this ability on a facility-wide scale,…
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Finding the honey bee dance floor: New method shows how it moves within the hive
When honey bees find a good source of food, they return to their hive and perform a waggle dance. It consists of a series of movements that communicate the direction and distance to nectar, pollen or water relative to the sun. For years,…
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How cells manage nitric oxide: Research uncovers dynamic 'gate' that tames powerful signaling molecule
Cornell researchers have uncovered a built-in molecular “gate” that controls the production of the molecule nitric oxide, a crucial signaling molecule throughout biology that in humans helps regulate blood pressure, brain signaling, and immune…
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From algae to biofuel: Study opens doors to cheaper, cleaner fuel sources
A researcher’s keen eye and spirit of curiosity led to the discovery of a new method for cell engineeringâa finding that opens doors to more sustainable sources for everything from fuel to vitamin supplements.
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Courtship is complicated, even in fruit flies
Love is in the air for the vinegar fly. Drosophila melanogaster has long been a model for understanding how brains translate sensory information into courtship behavior. Male flies perform a multitude of romantic actionsâorienting, tapping,…
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