science wire

Chimpanzees have been observed copying quirky social behaviours from one another - wearing grass in their ears and bottoms - despite these actions offering no apparent practical benefit.

At concentrations of CO2 470 times higher than atmospheric concentrations, a soil bacterium accomplishes something extraordinary: it turns gas into stone.

MSc project Supervisor #1 Supervisor #2 () Student Better labs-on-chips using biobased materials Massimo Mastrangeli (EWI/ME) Baris Kumru (AE/ASM) To be recruited Exploring a new way to study effe

In 2015, Andre Hoelz, the Mary and Charles Ferkel Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator, learned he had a rare brain tumor that was pressing on his acoustic nerve.

The Government of the Canton of Basel-Stadt has confirmed its support for the continuation of the long-term population cohort study COVCO-Basel led by Swiss TPH.

Microbial communities living deep underground in the groundwater of Lavey-les-Bains remain surprisingly stable throughout the year, even though the composition of the water changes seasonally. This is the finding of a study by researchers that contributes to a better understanding of geothermal systems and microbial life deep underground.

Why humans have chins is one of many as-yet unanswered questions about evolution that scientists are making progress towards solving, rewrites Professor Max Telford (UCL Biosciences) in The Conversation.

Insects Botanists from the University of Copenhagen and the UK set out to find the best flower combinations for bees and hoverflies.

An ambitious new research project, SynHG (Synthetic Human Genome), is aiming to develop the foundational and scalable tools, technology and methods needed to synthesise human genomes.

Four Trinity researchers have secured awards worth a combined total of €2.57 million under Research Ireland's Pathway funding programme.

Protein research Designed proteins are anticipated to have groundbreaking impact on a range of issues from treating disease to tackling environmental problems.

Life Published: 10:00 A recent study by an interdisciplinary research team shows how a soil bacterium can become a source of inspiration in the search of new active substances. Genomic analyses of the plant pathogen Pseudomonas syringae shed light on its chemical diversity. Two newly discovered families of natural products, the syrilipamides and secimides, are - in combination - particularly harmful to amoebae and the secimides are also active against fungi.

While human fisher-hunter-gatherer populations were present over 14,000 years ago in South America, it was not until the first agrarian civilisations 7,000 years later that traces of the development and dispersal of indigenous dog lineages can be observed on the continent.

Study on flour beetles shows that insect-specific "immune priming" affects the evolution of pathogenic bacteria Like all vertebrates, humans have two types of immune memory: the memory of the acquired (adaptive) immune system, which is highly specific to certain pathogens and long-lasting and makes vaccinations possible, and that of the innate immune system - a "trained immunity" - which reacts quickly but less specifically.

The placenta and the hormones it produces may have played a crucial role in the evolution of the human brain, while also leading to the behavioural traits that have made human societies able to thrive and expand, according to a new hypothesis proposed by researchers from the Universities of Cambridge and Oxford.

Researchers from the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) and partners have discovered a new parasitic worm species named Trichuris incognita in Côte d'Ivoire during a Swiss TPH-led clinical trial.

( ) Ghent University has once again proven its excellence in research by securing six coveted ERC Advanced Grants.

Researchers from Simon Fraser University are joining an international collaboration to improve how infectious diseases are tracked and monitored.

When the amount of cholesterol in the blood is too high, hypercholesterolemia can develop, causing serious damage to the arteries and cardiovascular health. Now, a study led by the University of Barcelona and the University of Oregon presents a new therapeutic tool capable of regulating blood cholesterol levels and thus opening up new perspectives in the fight against atherosclerosis caused by the accumulation of lipid plaques in the artery walls.

A new study, designed and conducted by Rosalba Morese, a researcher at the Institute of Communication and Public Policies (ICPP) of USI Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society, Michele Corengia

As elite athletes push the boundaries of physical performance, Simon Fraser researchers are exploring a new frontier: brain training.

Cells taken from the lungs of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have a larger accumulation of soot-like carbon deposits compared to cells taken from people who smoke but do not have COPD, according to a study led by University of Manchester researchers.

The groundbreaking discoveries come from a study delivered through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Manchester Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) and , and The University of Ma

A new study led by the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) has revealed significant genetic and antigenic diversity in European swine influenza viruses, raising the critical need for pandemic preparedness and vaccine effectiveness in both animal and human populations. Although swine flu is widespread in pig farming, often affecting an estimated 50% of UK production pigs, human cases remain rare.

From June 9 to 13, Brussels will host the MPS World Summit, the largest international conference ever dedicated to microphysiological systems (MPS), better known as "organs-on-a-chip.

A team of international scientists has tracked over 100 marine megafauna species, identifying the most critical locations in our global oceans for better marine conservation efforts, according to new research from The Australian National University (ANU). The global UN-endorsed research project, MegaMove, which involves almost 400 scientists from over 50 countries, shows where protection could be implemented specifically for the conservation of marine megafauna.

It is becoming increasingly difficult to produce sufficient drinking water, and this process also releases large amounts of the harmful greenhouse gas methane.

Wheat production is threatened by a major fungal disease: yellow rust. Researchers at the University of Zurich have found traditional wheat varieties from Asia that harbor several resistance-conferring genes.

Getting one's groove on, A.K.A. busting a move, is an age-old tradition that dates back more than 50,000 years to the time of Neanderthals and Cro-Magnon humans, who rhythmically writhed to drumming and even vocalizations.

Writing in Drug Target Review, Professor Stefan Trapp (UCL Biosciences) reveals how GLP-1's dual role in the brain and gut could transform obesity treatment. For decades, researchers have explored how our bodies regulate hunger and satiety. A central player in this system is glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), a hormone originally known for its role in regulating blood sugar.

A new project, co-led by Dr Joshua James and Professor Patrick Cai of the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology at The University of Manchester, in collaboration with the John Innes Centre and Earlha