Why Do Some People Need Less Sleep? It’s in Their DNA
U.C.S.F. researchers find a gene for flourishing with less shut-eye
Biology12263 articles archived since 1845
Vaginal Fluid Transplants Hold Promise but Raise Safety Concerns
A small study tested the approach for treating a common bacterial infection by restoring a healthy microbiome
Tardigrade Protein Protects DNA from Chemical Attack
The Dsup protein protects DNA under conditions that create caustic free radical chemicals.
More Grazing Leads to Fewer Fires in the Serengeti
Beneficial blazes are critical to maintaining the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem, but animals are eating the fuel
Introducing the November 2019 Issue
Time crystals, trickle-up economics, songbird diversity, and more
The Struggle to Save Heirloom Rice in India
Long-forgotten varieties of the staple crop can survive flood, drought and other calamities. The challenge is bringing them back
How a Tiny Pit Decides a Pine Tree’s Fate
Live fast, die young and leave a good lookin’ stump
What a Koala Virus Tells Us About the Human Genome
A study illuminates how genes defend against viral invasions
Is Death Reversible?
An experiment that partially revived slaughterhouse pig brains raises questions about the precise end point of life
Nature's Headbangers
How the surprisingly intricate drumming of woodpeckers evolved
How Cells Sense Oxygen Levels: Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
William Kaelin, Jr., Peter Ratcliffe and Gregg Semenza share the 2019 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine “for their discoveries of how cells sense and adapt to oxygen availability.” New therapies for cancer and conditions such as anemia are in the pipeline, based on these discoveries...
Nobel in Physiology or Medicine for How Cells Sense Oxygen Levels
The 2019 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine goes to William G. Kaelin, Jr., Peter J. Ratcliffe and Gregg L. Semenza “for their discoveries of how cells sense and adapt to oxygen availability.” They identified molecular machinery that regulates gene activity in response to changing levels of oxygen...
Teeth Tell Black Death Genetic Tale
DNA from the teeth of medieval plague victims indicates the pathogen likely first arrived in eastern Europe before spreading across the continent.
Tiny Worms Are Equipped to Battle Extreme Environments
Scientists found eight species of nematodes living in California’s harsh Mono Lake—quintupling the number of animals known to live there. Christopher Intagliata reports.
Scorpion Venom Could Lead to New Antibiotics
Scientists isolate and synthesize two compounds that can fight common, and even drug-resistant, infections
How Monarch Butterflies Evolved to Eat a Poisonous Plant
By engineering mutations into fruit flies, scientists reconstructed how the bright orange butterflies came to tolerate milkweed toxins
Heat Changes Insect Call, but It Still Works
Tiny insects called treehoppers produce very different mating songs at higher versus lower temperatures, but the intended recipient still finds the changed songs attractive.
Corals Can Inherit Symbiotic Adaptations to Warming
Adult corals can reshuffle their symbiotic algae species to adapt to warming waters—and, it appears they can pass those adaptations on. Christopher Intagliata reports.
Scientists Watch Single Gene Transcription in a Living Cell
Gene transcription is one of life’s most fundamental processes. For the first time, researchers have viewed it in real time in a living cell.
