https://phys.org/biology-news/ en-us Read the latest science news from Phys.org on biology, evolution, microbiology, biotechnology Polar bears are icons of the Arctic, elusive and vulnerable. Detailed monitoring of their populations is crucial for their conservation—but because polar bears are so difficult to find, we are missing critical data about population size and how well-connected those populations are. Scientists have now developed a new tool to help: DNA analysis using skin cells shed in the bears' footprints in the snow. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-polar-footprints-dna-tracks-threatened.html Ecology Molecular & Computational biology Mon, 04 Dec 2023 00:00:01 EST news620633915 A small team of bio-scientists from the University of Rostock's Institute for Biosciences and Nuremberg Zoo's Behavioral Ecology and Conservation Lab, both in Germany, has found evidence that bottlenose dolphins can sense electric fields. In their study, reported in the Journal of Experimental Biology, the group tested the ability of two captive bottlenose dolphins to sense a small electric field. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-bottlenose-dolphins-electric-fields.html Plants & Animals Sun, 03 Dec 2023 08:20:01 EST news620648234 Upon infection or immunization, all jawed vertebrate species generate proteins called antibodies that bind and neutralize pathogens. Strong and long-lasting antibody responses in warm-blooded species such as mammals are produced in secondary lymphoid microstructures (SLMs) among which germinal centers (GCs) are the centerpiece. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-scientists-uncharted-fish-immunology.html Molecular & Computational biology Veterinary medicine Fri, 01 Dec 2023 14:00:01 EST news620648327 In a study published in Science Advances, researchers from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE-Berlin) shed light on the intricate dance between the prion protein and copper ions in the physiopathology of live cells. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-physics-biology-prion-protein-orchestrates.html Molecular & Computational biology Fri, 01 Dec 2023 11:04:03 EST news620651041 James Cook University researcher Matthew Connors has discovered two new praying mantis species with the help of citizen scientists. The finds have been published in Zootaxa. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-citizen-scientists-mantis-species.html Plants & Animals Ecology Fri, 01 Dec 2023 10:18:00 EST news620648278 As a result of climate change, the Golden State's farms are expected to face a surge in agricultural pests, which poses a threat to California's specialty crops industry. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-climate-surge-insects-almonds-peaches.html Ecology Agriculture Fri, 01 Dec 2023 09:06:27 EST news620643983 New genetic research has revealed how British otters were able to recover from species loss in the 1950s with the help of their counterparts from Asia. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-uncovering-genetic-history-british-otters.html Evolution Molecular & Computational biology Fri, 01 Dec 2023 08:56:03 EST news620643361 Two teams of bio-researchers have developed similar processes for demonstrating how photolyase isolates use light to repair damaged DNA. In their papers, both published in the journal Science, the two groups outline their stop-motion-animation-type process to capture the action in detail. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-methods-photolyase-isolates-dna.html Biotechnology Molecular & Computational biology Fri, 01 Dec 2023 08:55:38 EST news620643336 When it comes to studying patterns in how bugs damage plants, is it important to know the average amount and type of damage? Or the variation around the average? https://phys.org/news/2023-12-key-patterns.html Plants & Animals Agriculture Fri, 01 Dec 2023 08:33:04 EST news620641982 There is good news for researchers working with high-resolution fluorescence microscopy: Biocompatible molecular rulers are available for the first time to calibrate the latest super-resolution microscopy methods. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-molecular-rulers-high-resolution-microscopy.html Biotechnology Molecular & Computational biology Fri, 01 Dec 2023 06:42:21 EST news620635338 Researchers from The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability (DTU Biosustain) have developed an innovative fermentation process that produces natural betalain-type food colors. This groundbreaking technology is set to revolutionize the food color industry by offering a more sustainable and efficient alternative to traditional extraction methods. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-nature-palette-reinvented-fermentation-breakthrough.html Cell & Microbiology Biotechnology Fri, 01 Dec 2023 06:38:26 EST news620635090 Born tail first, bottlenose dolphin calves emerge equipped with two slender rows of whiskers along their beak-like snouts—much like the touch-sensitive whiskers of seals. But the whiskers fall out soon after birth, leaving the youngster with a series of dimples known as vibrissal pits. Recently, Tim Hüttner and Guido Dehnhardt, from the University of Rostock, Germany, began to suspect that the dimples may be more than just a relic. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-bottlenose-dolphin-weak-electric-fields.html Plants & Animals Ecology Thu, 30 Nov 2023 18:00:01 EST news620582542 New research from Northern Arizona University has explained coast redwood's remarkable ability to recover from very severe fire, a rare sign of optimism amid a landscape increasingly scarred by severe fires. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-cautious-resilience-redwoods.html Plants & Animals Ecology Thu, 30 Nov 2023 17:31:03 EST news620587861 A tiny but prolific world of microbes encompasses everything around us, both inside and out. Microbiomes, which are comprised of diverse communities of microbes, play a pivotal role in shaping human health, yet the intricacies of how different microbial compositions influence our well-being remain largely unknown. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-microbial-interactions.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 30 Nov 2023 16:37:04 EST news620584621 By studying the skull shapes of dipsadine snakes, researchers at The University of Texas at Arlington have found how these species of snakes in Central and South America have evolved and adapted to meet the demands of their habitats and food sources. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-snake-skulls-species-prey.html Evolution Ecology Thu, 30 Nov 2023 15:28:03 EST news620580481 Animals often use vocalizations to warn of nearby danger to others. While this information is generally intended for members of the same species, other species can eavesdrop on the warnings to use the information for their own benefit. Sentinels are animals that have warning calls so widely understood by others that those other species will form groups with them, relying on the sentinels to provide warnings of danger. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-sentinel-universally-understood-continents.html Plants & Animals Ecology Thu, 30 Nov 2023 15:16:55 EST news620579812 In humans, nodding off for a few seconds is a clear sign of insufficient sleep—and can be dangerous in some situations, such as when driving a car. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-penguins-hours-seconds-long-micronaps.html Plants & Animals Thu, 30 Nov 2023 15:10:30 EST news620579424 Maize is one of the world's most widely grown crops. It is used for both human and animal foods and holds great cultural significance, especially for indigenous peoples in the Americas. Yet despite its importance, the origins of the grain have been hotly debated for more than a century. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-modern-maize-hybrid-years-mexico.html Molecular & Computational biology Agriculture Thu, 30 Nov 2023 14:00:02 EST news620561475 A new study of a migratory songbird shows that individuals with average-sized white tail spots—a trait that is critical to successful foraging—live longer than individuals with more extreme amounts of white in the tail. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-migratory-songbird-link-white-tail.html Plants & Animals Ecology Thu, 30 Nov 2023 13:18:51 EST news620572729 Dog and cat owners are familiar with the age-old debate: which of the two species is smarter? However, answering this question is impossible, especially due to the difficulty of a sound comparison. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-dogs-cats-skilled-human-gestures.html Plants & Animals Veterinary medicine Thu, 30 Nov 2023 12:39:14 EST news620570352 Dogs' food preferences are mirrored in their brain activity, particularly within their caudate nuclei -a brain region associated with reward processing, a new study combining behavioral and neuroimaging data by researchers from the Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University (Hungary) and Symrise Pet Food (France) finds. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-pickier-dogs-brains.html Molecular & Computational biology Veterinary medicine Thu, 30 Nov 2023 12:36:38 EST news620570195 A team of U of T Scarborough researchers have discovered that the waxy protective barrier around plants might play a role in sending chemical signals to other plants and insects. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-waxy-surface-key-stronger-crops.html Cell & Microbiology Agriculture Thu, 30 Nov 2023 12:05:48 EST news620568346 Ana Mateos and Jesús Rodríguez, scientists at the Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH), have published a paper in the journal Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology showing that large herbivore carrion, a resource that had formerly been abundant and accessible to hominins, became scarcer at the end of the Early Pleistocene due to changes in the Iberian fauna. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-turnover-iberian-fauna-availability-carrion.html Ecology Paleontology & Fossils Thu, 30 Nov 2023 11:59:15 EST news620567953 In today's medical landscape, antibiotics are pivotal in combating bacterial infections. These potent compounds, produced by bacteria and fungi, act as natural defenses against microbial attacks. A team of researchers delved into the intricate world of glycopeptide antibiotics—a vital resource in countering drug-resistant pathogens—to uncover their evolutionary origins. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-reverse-evolution-ancient-glycopeptide-antibiotics.html Evolution Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 30 Nov 2023 11:58:42 EST news620567920 There's a species of ant that is so rare, only a handful of records exist from across the entire eastern United States. North Carolina State University researcher Michelle Kirchner not only found these ants in the Triangle region of North Carolina, she is the first to document an entire colony for scientists, taxonomists and ant-thusiasts everywhere. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-rare-ant-species-rediscovered-north.html Plants & Animals Ecology Thu, 30 Nov 2023 11:58:12 EST news620567889 Biomolecular condensates transport RNA molecules inside of cells for functions such as cell signaling and regulating cell processes, but little is known about how they form distinct compositional identities, similar to how oil and water stay separated. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-rna-molecules-added-condensates-composition.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 30 Nov 2023 11:57:52 EST news620567869 Deep-sea hydrothermal vents are hot springs on the ocean floor. Sea water penetrates into the ocean crust, becomes heated, and rises to the seafloor surface carrying dissolved nutrients. Around these vents, far from any sunlight, vibrant biological communities are found. Here, microbes play the role of primary producers through chemosynthesis—similar to the role that plants play on land through photosynthesis. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-bacterial-species-hydrothermal-vent-microbial.html Evolution Cell & Microbiology Thu, 30 Nov 2023 11:11:04 EST news620565061 Plants regulate their development with a distinct group of molecular players. ROP proteins, a group of plant-specific proteins, are known to control plant tissue formation. Now, Hugh Mulvey and Liam Dolan at the GMI show that ROP proteins evolved at the transition between unicellular and multicellular plant life. The findings were published on November 30 in the journal Current Biology. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-rop-exploring-dawn-multicellular-life.html Plants & Animals Evolution Thu, 30 Nov 2023 11:00:01 EST news620557073 A new study led by the University of Oxford has shed light on why certain species of bacteria carry astonishing arsenals of weapons. The findings, published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution, could help us to engineer microbes that can destroy deadly pathogens, reducing our reliance on antibiotics. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-mystery-bacteria-extensive-weaponry.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 30 Nov 2023 11:00:01 EST news620557079 Hung from a common utility pole, a fiber optic cable—the kind bringing high-speed internet to more and more American households—can be turned into a sensor to detect temperature changes, vibrations, and even sound, through an emerging technology called distributed fiber optic sensing. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-periodical-cicadas-chorus-fiber-optic.html Plants & Animals Biotechnology Thu, 30 Nov 2023 10:00:04 EST news620560802