Biology
Bacteria Turn Plants and Insects into Zombies
A parasitic phytoplasma deploys proteins to manipulate the plants it infects as well as the insects that spread the microbe
Stories by Ed Yong
Evolutionary Biology
Hummingbird Evolution Is Booming
The successful, 22 million-year-old group could double in its number of species before leveling off
Biology
Giant Virus Resurrected from 30,000-Year-Old Ice
The discovery of the largest virus yet, still infectious, hints at the viral diversity trapped in permafrost
Evolution
Island Lizards Are Tamer Than Mainland Counterparts
The finding could be due to lower predator numbers on islands
Health
Narcolepsy Confirmed as Autoimmune Disease
The new results also partly explain why the 2009 swine flu virus and a vaccine against it led to spikes in the sleep disorder
Mind
Dozens of Labs Respond to Call to Bolster Reliability of Psychology Research
International collaboration replicates 10 of 13 earlier studies
Health
Americas' Natives Have European Roots
The oldest known genome of a modern human solves long-standing puzzles about the New World's genetic heritage
Evolution
Monkey's Alarm Calls Reveal Predator's Who and Where
Black-fronted titi monkeys mix and match their calls to detail and expose threats
Health
Genomes Reveal Roots of TB Drug Resistance
Tuberculosis strains evolve by gradually acquiring subtle mutations
The Sciences
Seemingly Unimportant Mutations Can Foster Disease
Initially innocuous genetic changes known as neutral mutations may play a role in disorders ranging from the flu and bacterial infections to schizophrenia
The Sciences
Genomes of Giant Viruses Hint at "4th Domain" of Life
Just 7 percent of the viruses' genes match those in existing databases, a finding that confirms that viral diversity is still largely underexplored
Health
How Nails Regenerate Lost Fingertips
A study of mouse toes reveals pathways that could offer clues for regenerating human limbs
Mind
Psychologists Find New Ways to Steel Minority Students against Fear of Failure
Even subtle reminders of prejudice against one's sex, race or religion can hinder performance in school, work and athletics. Researchers have found new ways to reverse and prevent this effect...
The Sciences
Moth Smashes Ultrasound Hearing Records
These insects can sense higher pitches than any other known species
Health
Lab-Grown Kidneys Transplanted into Rats Become Functional
The engineered organs were capable of producing one third as much urine as normal kidneys. The achievement suggests the potential for replacement kidneys grown on demand with no donor shortage or immune problems...
The Sciences
Life Found Deep inside Earth's Oceanic Crust
Microbes have been found living deep inside crust at the bottom of the sea. The crust is several kilometers thick and covers 60 percent of the planet's surface, making it the largest habitat on Earth...
Sustainability
The Man Whose Dynasty Changed Ecology
Bob Paine showed that keystone species can radically reshape their ecosystems, and he fathered an academic family that had done the same for ecology
The Sciences
Genomes Show Indians Influx to Australia 4,000 Years Ago
New genetic findings upend assumptions about Australia's isolation
Sustainability
Flesh-Eating Flies Map Forest Biodiversity
DNA in insects' guts reveals inventory of rare mammals
Mind
Memory Molecule Dethroned
Two studies refute an enzyme’s essential role in remembering and forgetting
