A new study by researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison provides the first empirical evidence connecting the chromosomal location of genes to natural selection, indicating the arrangement of genes can influence how quickly populations can adapt to rapid environmental change.

A new study by Rice engineers shows that lab-grown diamond coatings could help diminish mineral scaling in industrial piping, providing an alternative to chemical additives and mechanical cleaning, both of which offer only temporary relief and carry environmental or operational downsides.

Researchers at the University of Cincinnati found that monk parakeets introduced to new birds will “test the waters” with potential friends to avoid increasingly dangerous close encounters that could lead to injury.

Cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, occur worldwide in many varieties, including in single-cell form and in chains called filaments. While these tiny life forms can strongly influence many ecosystems, the details of their behavior have mostly been studied in laboratory settings, under constant illumination. But now, scientists at the Marine Biological Laboratory  (MBL) have shown that filamentous cyanobacteria are strongly regulated by the day-night cycle they experience in their natural environment. Their study was published this week in mBio.

Mississippi State biologist Matthew W. Brown is part of an international research team whose groundbreaking discovery unearthed a new organism and phylum, reshaping the tree of life. The research was featured Nov. 19 in Nature. 

Researchers have developed a new algorithm that combines two processes for personalizing robotic prosthetic devices to both optimize the movement of the prosthetic limb and – for the first time – also help a human user’s body engage in a more natural walking pattern. The new approach can be used to help restore and maintain various aspects of user movement, with the goal of addressing health challenges associated with an amputation.

For decades, scientists have been baffled by two enormous, enigmatic structures buried deep inside Earth with features so vast and unusual that they defy conventional models of planetary evolution.

Now, a study published in Nature Geoscience by Rutgers geodynamicist Yoshinori Miyazaki in combination with collaborators offers a striking new explanation for these anomalies and their role in shaping Earth’s ability to support life.

Nematologists have long wondered how the the Northern root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne hapla) is able to infect such a wide range of plants, from carrots to trees. Now an international team has gained insight into how the DNA of this parasitic worm facilitates its success.