science wire

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.

An international research team led by Würzburg has identified another gene whose functional failure leads to Fanconi anaemia. Fanconi anaemia (FA) is a rare hereditary disease whose symptoms include congenital malformations and progressive bone marrow failure. It also leads to an increased risk of cancer, particularly cancers of the blood and mucous membranes.

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

As part of a research project carried out at MedUni Vienna on the history of brain research under National Socialism, microscopic sections and paraffin-embedded tissue samples from victims of so-call

There are an estimated 3 billion fewer birds in Canada and the United States today than there were in 1970.

A team of University of Calgary undergraduates hopes to tackle bird flu by developing a continuous early detection system for the virus. Highly infectious avian influenza, more commonly known as bird flu, has impacted 167 million birds in the U.S. since 2022 and has become more effective at crossing species.

Professors Kathryn Abel, Tony Day and Matt Sutton from The University of Manchester have been elected as Fellows of the Academy of Medical Sciences, three of 54 exceptional biomedical and health scientists to achieve the award this year.

UdeM's Carole Anglade is exploring the benefits of choral singing for those who have difficulty communicating after a stroke. Regardless of how severe the impairment is, "why do some people cope with aphasia better than others," asks Carole Anglade, a professor at Université de Montréal's School of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology.