https://phys.org/biology-news/ en-us Read the latest science news from Phys.org on biology, evolution, microbiology, biotechnology Artificial intelligence continues to squirm its way into many aspects of our lives. But what about biology, the study of life itself? AI can sift through hundreds of thousands of genome data points to identify potential new therapeutic targets. While these genomic insights may appear helpful, scientists aren't sure how today's AI models come to their conclusions in the first place. Now, a new system named SQUID arrives on the scene, armed to pry open AI's black box of murky internal logic. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-tool-ai-genomics.html Molecular & Computational biology Fri, 21 Jun 2024 05:00:01 EDT news638112738 In the pampas, Argentina's vast and fertile grasslands outside Buenos Aires, grain silos overflow with this year's harvest—but nobody is selling just yet. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-argentina-surplus-harvest-farmers-milei.html Agriculture Fri, 21 Jun 2024 03:54:26 EDT news638160859 Superbug infections are taking a disproportionate toll in sub-Saharan Africa where there is "extremely concerning" levels of multi-resistant bacterial strains among young children, two studies warned Thursday. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-antibiotic-resistance-saharan-africa-alarming.html Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 20 Jun 2024 16:30:01 EDT news638113284 Gala is a major apple cultivar grown worldwide that is mostly planted as red sports (genetic mutation), such as Royal, Brookfield, Fulford, and Galaxy. The red sports tend to have similar maturation profiles, but they allow earlier harvests and strip picking, which is not recommended for the original Gala or lower-colored sports. Although Gala fruit are harvested early relative to typical long-term storage cultivars such as Red Delicious, Granny Smith, and Fuji, they are often stored long-term under controlled atmosphere conditions. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-gala-apples-cold-ethylene-impacted.html Plants & Animals Agriculture Thu, 20 Jun 2024 16:20:06 EDT news638119202 When a cell spreads out or changes its shape to adapt to its environment, the transport rate of proteins between the nucleus and cytoplasm changes. Previously, scientists assumed this change was caused by a shift in the size of the nuclear envelope's pores; however, recent research findings have discovered an alternate explanation. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-insights-cell-protein.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 20 Jun 2024 16:02:03 EDT news638118121 A new study delving into the lives of one of the UK's rarest beetles shows them to be athletes and adventurers—sometimes traveling the scaled-up equivalent of several kilometers a night in search of food and mates. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-uk-rarest-rainforest-beetles-multi.html Plants & Animals Ecology Thu, 20 Jun 2024 15:45:49 EDT news638117143 Researchers at the University of Hannover have uncovered new insights into the mode of action of calcium in the reduction of macrocracking in sweet cherry fruit. The findings shed light on the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon, offering significant implications for cherry growers and the fruit industry at large. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-calcium-macrocracking-sweet-cherries.html Plants & Animals Agriculture Thu, 20 Jun 2024 15:45:31 EDT news638117127 University of Manchester scientists have linked one of the ways that cells respond to stressful conditions with restricted healthy hair growth. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-scientists-link-ancient-biology-restricted.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 20 Jun 2024 15:18:03 EDT news638115481 Researchers might have solved the riddle of how to save one of Scotland's most iconic protected species from eating another. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-scotland-capercaillie-population-extinction-lifeline.html Ecology Thu, 20 Jun 2024 14:31:51 EDT news638112704 Sustainability is a hot topic in just about every field that engages with the environment, including agriculture. An interdisciplinary group of researchers in UConn's College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources has published a paper outlining the current state of sustainable food production research in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Research. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-greening-food-chain-sustainable-interdisciplinary.html Agriculture Thu, 20 Jun 2024 14:17:02 EDT news638111821 Insecticide use is a major factor causing a decrease in the size and diversity of butterfly populations across the US Midwest, reports Braeden Van Deynze of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and colleagues in a study published June 20 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-insecticides-contribute-butterfly-species-midwest.html Plants & Animals Ecology Thu, 20 Jun 2024 14:00:02 EDT news638093342 Chimpanzees appear to consume plants with medicinal properties to treat their ailments, according to a study published on June 20 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Elodie Freymann from the University of Oxford, UK, and colleagues. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-wild-chimpanzees-medicinal-illness-injuries.html Plants & Animals Ecology Thu, 20 Jun 2024 14:00:02 EDT news638092921 New strains of yeast for brewing lager beers, created by hybridizing wild strains of yeast from Patagonia with brewer's yeast, can yield novel flavors and aromas, reports a new study by Jennifer Molinet and Francisco Cubillos of the Universidad de Santiago de Chile, published June 20 in the journal PLOS Genetics. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-wild-yeasts-patagonia-yield-flavors.html Biotechnology Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 20 Jun 2024 14:00:02 EDT news638091421 A devastating hurricane transformed a monkey society by changing the pros and cons of interacting with others, new research shows. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-hurricane-game-monkey-society.html Plants & Animals Ecology Thu, 20 Jun 2024 14:00:02 EDT news638090481 Kara Andres, a postdoctoral fellow with the Living Earth Collaborative at Washington University in St. Louis, collected samples of water from Simpson Lake, in Valley Park, Mo., as part of a coordinated global effort to use environmental DNA—genetic material shed by organisms into the environment—to document the current state of biodiversity. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-citizen-scientists-edna-samples-global.html Ecology Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 20 Jun 2024 13:04:01 EDT news638107439 Researchers at La Trobe University's Center for Freshwater Ecosystems have exposed the hidden consequences of climate change on Alpine stream ecosystems, which could see an earlier emergence of insects. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-climate-emergence-insects.html Plants & Animals Ecology Thu, 20 Jun 2024 13:03:06 EDT news638107382 While research has uncovered many details about how blood cells function within bone marrow, the work of other cells existing in that space has remained a relative mystery. Now, researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) have published a "bone marrow atlas" in Cell that provides a first-of-its-kind, full view of all the cells existing within it, offering a better understanding of both healthy and diseased blood production. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-rare-bone-marrow-cells-revealed.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 20 Jun 2024 12:20:01 EDT news638104580 Global warming has significantly altered plant growth patterns on the Tibetan Plateau (TP) over the past three decades. Plants adjust their growth trajectories in response to climate change, prioritizing leaf and stem growth or root extension to better absorb nutrients from the sun, atmosphere, or soil. Therefore, it is important to understand the mechanisms and dynamics of plant growth in permafrost regions of the TP, where significant amounts of carbon dioxide are absorbed, stored, and emitted. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-reveal-effects-climate-belowground-biomass.html Ecology Thu, 20 Jun 2024 12:16:30 EDT news638104588 Callicarpa L. (Lamiaceae) consists of 140 species that are trees or shrubs, and there are about 53 species in China, mainly distributed south of the Yangtze River. Some plants of Callicarpa are used as traditional medicine in China. In addition, they are also landscape plants with potential for utilization and development due to the abundant flowers and the colorful fruits. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-species-callicarpa-hunan-china.html Plants & Animals Thu, 20 Jun 2024 12:16:06 EDT news638104564 Waterlogged conditions, a consequence of heavy rainfall or inadequate drainage, disproportionately affect crops with delicate root systems like cucumbers. These conditions not only impede root respiration and plant development but also threaten agricultural productivity on a global scale. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-uncovers-genetic-key-stress-cucumbers.html Molecular & Computational biology Agriculture Thu, 20 Jun 2024 12:03:03 EDT news638103782 Advanced technology tested nearly two years ago in the water treatment system that serves Toledo could prove valuable in efforts to protect the water that pours out of taps well beyond northwest Ohio, according to research published by The University of Toledo. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-advanced-algae-sensor-toledo-valuable.html Biotechnology Thu, 20 Jun 2024 12:02:04 EDT news638103721 Understanding the genetic mechanisms behind leaf development is crucial for improving crop yields and resilience. In Chinese cabbage, the formation of leafy heads involves complex gene interactions that determine leaf shape and orientation. Despite progress in model plants like Arabidopsis, the molecular basis of these processes in Brassica species remains less clear. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-transcriptomic-insights-chinese-cabbage-unique.html Molecular & Computational biology Agriculture Thu, 20 Jun 2024 11:59:02 EDT news638103541 The reef manta ray (Mobula alfredi) is a tough swimmer. They can travel hundreds of kilometers to feed themselves. The longest recorded movement for an individual reef manta ray was 1,150km, observed in eastern Australia. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-raja-ampat-reef-manta-rays.html Plants & Animals Ecology Thu, 20 Jun 2024 11:50:01 EDT news638099521 A mechanism that could help scientists harness enzymes for use in drug discovery has been discovered in a research breakthrough at the University of Birmingham. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-uncover-enzyme-communication-mechanism-aid.html Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 20 Jun 2024 11:42:03 EDT news638102521 Nigeria has many freshwater ecotourism attractions. Among them are the Ikogosi warm spring, the Osun-Osogbo river, and the Olumirin, Owu, Arinta and Ekor waterfalls. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-nigeria-mountain-streams-haven-special.html Ecology Thu, 20 Jun 2024 11:30:01 EDT news638099495 The soaring demand for avocados in Europe and North America has led to a trebling of global production in just over 20 years. However, this popular fruit is increasingly controversial because of the environmental impacts of farming and distributing them around the world. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-avocados-bad-environment.html Ecology Agriculture Thu, 20 Jun 2024 11:20:02 EDT news638099468 The spread of the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1 among animals is unprecedented having been found on all continents—except Oceania—with the United Nations calling it "a global zoonotic animal pandemic." https://phys.org/news/2024-06-climate-h5n1-bird-flu-virus.html Cell & Microbiology Veterinary medicine Thu, 20 Jun 2024 11:00:01 EDT news638099573 Advances in organoids and embryonic models of human development have the potential to prompt social and existential questions—e.g., what defines human individuality? However, bioethicist Insoo Hyun of Harvard Medical School and the Museum of Science in Boston says that these models have the potential to strengthen rather than weaken the concept of human individuality when considered within the philosophical frameworks of "personhood" and sentience. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-embryo-organoid-threaten-definition-personhood.html Cell & Microbiology Biotechnology Thu, 20 Jun 2024 11:00:01 EDT news638094739 The discovery of a new, ancient, predatory reptile dubbed Parvosuchus aurelioi—part of a group of crocodile-like reptiles called pseudosuchians—in Brazil is described in a paper in Scientific Reports. The specimen, which dates to approximately 237 million years ago, during the Middle-Late Triassic, is the first small predatory reptile of its kind to be found in this country. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-small-ancient-crocodile-reptile-brazil.html Paleontology & Fossils Thu, 20 Jun 2024 11:00:01 EDT news638091182 Purdue University researchers are introducing a new biosensor technology to the agricultural industry inspired by advancements achieved during the COVID-19 pandemic. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-paper-based-biosensor-fast-easy.html Biotechnology Agriculture Thu, 20 Jun 2024 10:48:58 EDT news638099332