A research team from Munich has identified a previously unknown communication mechanism in harvestmen. Five closely related species show species-specific, strongly fluorescent structures on their backs that become especially visible under…
Category: 5. Biology
-
Harvestmen arachnids apparently use fluorescent patterns for species recognition
-
AI generates short DNA sequences that show promise for gene therapies
Scientists at the Broad Institute and Mass General Brigham have built a generative AI model that creates short DNA segments that can control gene activity in specific cells. These sequences, called cis-regulatory elements (CREs), make up a large…
Continue Reading
-
Q&A: Coexistence between humans and wild animals in Japan
Incidents that make us consider the relationship between humans and wild animals are happening all over Japan, from bear attacks to crop damage by wild animals. How should we interpret the current situation, and how should we respond? Kiyono…
Continue Reading
-
Mapping cell development with mathematics-informed machine learning
The development of humans and other animals unfolds gradually over time, with cells taking on specific roles and functions via a process called cell fate determination. The fate of individual cells, or in other words, what type of cells they will…
Continue Reading
-
Manganese helps reduce agricultural nitrogen pollution in air, water
Nitrogen pollution is a serious concern for the agriculture industry. Agricultural fertilizers contain nitrogen, an essential nutrient for plant health. However, these fertilizers also produce nitrogen runoff, which occurs when excess nitrogen…
Continue Reading
-
A hidden genetic war is unfolding inside your DNA
In Lewis Carroll’s “Through the Looking-Glass,” Alice runs endlessly alongside the Red Queen but never moves ahead. “It takes all the running you can do to keep in the same place,” the Queen explains.
That idea has long been used to describe…
Continue Reading
-
Scientists Discover a Natural Brake on Inflammation
The immune system is a powerful, necessary shield that has to spring into action when an infection has to be eliminated or an injury must be repaired. But it must also be kept under control. When immunity and…
Continue Reading
-
'Shark-repellent' method could reform fisheries by curbing bycatch
For decades, sharks have been the unintended victims of longline fisheries aimed at tuna and swordfish. Rising accidental catches have contributed to population declines and created serious challenges for both conservation and commercial fishing….
Continue Reading
-
Some vaccines are making progress in protecting vulnerable species
Southern elephant seal pups were among the first to die when a deadly strain of avian influenza arrived in the Crozet Islands in 2024. But as the virus spread across the sub-Antarctic archipelago, a handful of penguin chicks had a…
Continue Reading
-
Hibernating hamsters maintain muscle cells by suppressing muscle regeneration, study shows
Skeletal muscle stem cells in hibernating Syrian hamsters preserve their ability to function by suppressing their activation during the hibernation period, a research team led by Hiroshima University has shown. This insight may lead to a broader…
Continue Reading