EurekAlert! News by Subject: Biology - News by Subject: Biology

Biology

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 27-Oct-2025 18:11 ET (27-Oct-2025 22:11 GMT/UTC)

Roots in the dark: Russian scientists uncover hidden carbon dioxide uptake in plant roots

Biochar Editorial Office, Shenyang Agricultural University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

In a surprising twist to one of biology’s most fundamental processes, a new study published on October 17, 2025, in the open-access journal Carbon Research has revealed that plant roots can actively absorb CO₂ from the soil—and this hidden process is powerfully influenced by light, fertilizer, and atmospheric conditions.

Journal: Carbon Research

From soft to solid: How a coral stiffens its skeleton on demand

University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied Science
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have uncovered the first natural example of granular jamming, a process where loose particles lock into place under pressure, in the skeleton of a soft coral. The discovery explains a long-observed mystery in biology and could inspire new designs for medical devices, robotics and protective gear.

Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Funder: Human Frontier Science Program, DOE/US Department of Energy, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, University of Pennsylvania

New software tool MARTi fast-tracks identification and response to microbial threats

Earlham Institute
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Scientists at the Earlham Institute introduce MARTi, a powerful new tool for the real-time analysis of nanopore metagenomics.

Journal: Genome Research
Funder: UK Research and Innovation

Once tadpoles lose lungs, they never get them back

Cornell University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Tadpole species that lost their lungs through evolution never re-evolve them, even when environmental change would make it advantageous – bucking long-standing assumptions about how lost traits can reemerge, according to a new Cornell University study.

Journal: Evolution

Researchers decipher a mechanism that determines the complexity of the glucocorticoid receptor

University of Barcelona
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Drugs to treat inflammatory and autoimmune diseases — such as asthma, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis or Chrousos syndrome — act mainly through the glucocorticoid receptor (GR). This essential protein regulates vital processes in various tissues, so understanding its structure and function at the molecular level is essential for designing more effective and safer drugs. Now, a study published in the journal Nucleic Acids Research (NAR) has revealed the mechanism of multimerization — the association of different molecules to form complex structures — of the glucocorticoid receptor, a process critical to its physiological function.

Journal: Nucleic Acids Research

Researchers identify a new rare genetic disease

University of Missouri-Columbia
Peer-Reviewed Publication

An international research team, led by Shinghua Ding at the University of Missouri, has identified a previously unknown genetic disease that affects movement and muscle control.

The disease — called Mutation in NAMPT Axonopathy (MINA) syndrome — causes damage to motor neurons, the nerve cells that send signals from the brain and spinal cord to muscles. It’s the result of a rare genetic mutation in a critical protein known as NAMPT, which helps the body’s cells make and use energy. When this protein doesn’t work as it should, cells can’t produce enough energy to stay healthy.

Journal: Science Advances

A fascinating glimpse into Asian honeybee’s hidden genetic stories

Science China Press
Peer-Reviewed Publication

This study obtained historical genomes (~1900) of 46 Eastern honeybees. A comparison between historical and contemporary genomes revealed a decline in genetic diversity. Genes related to the nervous system have undergone rapid evolution over the past century, including key insecticide targets nAchRs. Insecticide exposure experiments confirmed genomic divergence among populations: those from central China exhibited stronger pesticide tolerance compared to populations from Malaysia.

Journal: National Science Review

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