X marks the spot: Recombination in structurally distinct chromosomes
A recent study has revealed more details about how the synaptonemal complex performs its job, including some surprising subtleties in function.
Read moreDevelopmental Biology
Startled fish escape using several distinct neuronal circuits
A fast knee-jerk 'ballistic' escape response and a more considered 'delayed' escape response are mediated by distinct and parallel neuronal pathways in zebrafish, according to a new study.
Read moreBullies may come and go, but the 'molecular memory' of being a target lingers
Life at the bottom of the social ladder may have long-term health effects that even upward mobility can't undo, according to new research in monkeys. A team studied 45 rhesus macaques. They found that monkeys who move up in the hierarchy still show the effects of their once-lowly status at the cellular level, even after they rise in rank.
Read moreNatural loss of foot muscle in rodents shares mechanisms often associated with disease and injury
Researchers have developed new insight on how the natural loss of foot muscles occurred in rodents and other species during their evolution.
Read moreA mathematical model reveals long-distance cell communication mechanism
An interdisciplinary collaborative team has identified how a large community can communicate with each other almost simultaneously even with very short distance signaling.
Read moreResearchers build a soft robot with neurologic capabilities
In work that combines a deep understanding of the biology of soft-bodied animals such as earthworms with advances in materials and electronic technologies, researchers have developed a robotic device containing a stretchable transistor that allows neurological function.
Read more'Tricked' bacteria open new pathways to antimicrobial treatments
Scientists have developed a new technique to trick bacteria into revealing hundreds of holes in their cell walls, opening the door for drugs that destroy bacteria's cells.
Read moreCarnivorous plant study captures universal rules of leaf making
Leaves display a remarkable range of forms from flat sheets with simple outlines to the cup-shaped traps found in carnivorous plants.
Read moreLongtime DNA mystery illuminated by buttons and flies
Biologists have uncovered an important clue in the longtime mystery of how long strands of DNA fold up to squeeze into microscopic cells, with each pair of chromosomes aligned to ensure perfect development.
Read moreSecrets to climate change adaptation uncovered in the European corn borer moth
Biologists have found two genes that may permit some insect species to survive climate change by adjusting their biological annual clocks while others succumb. The researchers looked at the European corn borer moth and pinpointed variation in two circadian clock genes — per and Pdfr — that enable different populations of the moth to adapt their transitions to longer or shorter winters.
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