Most of us are familiar sloths, the bear-like animals that hang from trees, live life in the slow lane, take a month to digest a meal and poop just once a week. Their closest living relatives are anteaters and armadillos, and if that seems like…
Category: 5. Biology
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Ancient DNA used to map evolution of fever-causing bacteria
Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute and UCL have analysed ancient DNA from Borrelia recurrentis, a type of bacteria that causes relapsing fever, pinpointing when it evolved to spread through lice rather than ticks, and how it gained and…
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Climate change poses severe threat to bowhead whale habitat
New research examining 11,700 years of bowhead whale persistence throughout the Arctic projects that sea ice loss due to climate change will cause their habitat to severely contract by up to 75 per cent.
An international team led by researchers…
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Study discovers DNA switch that controls TB growth, and could help unlock its antibiotic resistance secrets
The bacteria that cause tuberculosis (TB) may have an “on-off switch” that lets them pause and restart growth, according to a new study from the University of Surrey and the University of Oxford. The research helps explain why TB is so hard to…
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Diversity is key to ecosystem stability
In a collaborative study led by researchers at the University of Helsinki, analysis of 900 species over a 20-year period showed that biodiversity enhances ecosystem stability and helps safeguard natural communities in a changing environment.
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How cholera bacteria outsmart viruses
When we think of cholera, most of us picture contaminated water and tragic outbreaks in vulnerable regions. But behind the scenes, cholera bacteria are locked in a fierce, microscopic war — one that could shape the course of pandemics.
Cholera…
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Ox-eye daisy, bellis and yarrow: Flower strips with at least two sown species provide 70 percent more natural enemies of pests
They may look good in the landscape, but are they, in fact, useful? This is a subject of frequent debate. In recent years, flower strips along fields and ditches have become popular both in Denmark and abroad. One of the purposes of the strips is…
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Looking to cut calories? Try adding chilies, study suggests
Throwing a little heat on your meal might be an effective strategy for cutting back on calories, according to a new study led by researchers at Penn State.
Scientists at the University’s Sensory Evaluation Center examined how increasing “oral…
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Scientists test in an animal model a surgical technique to improve cell therapy for dry AMD
National Institutes of Health (NIH) scientists have developed a new surgical technique for implanting multiple tissue grafts in the eye’s retina. The findings in animals may help advance treatment options for dry age-related macular degeneration…
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These Elderly Korean Sea Women Have a Genetic “Superpower”
The Haenyeo’s unique traits stem from both genetics and lifelong practice, offering clues for improving cardiovascular health care. A recent analysis of a group of all-women extreme divers off the coast of Korea has revealed genetic differences…