Researchers from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering and Northwestern University have turned to biology to potentially revolutionize how people make water safe to drink and remove harmful – or valuable – chemicals from oceans, lakes and rivers. Cell membranes selectively let in more ions of life-sustaining materials like potassium or sodium when the cell needs them and can shut off the flow before the chemical concentration gets too high. Inspired by this, the team fabricated angstrom-scale artificial solid ionic channels aiming to replicate these biological ion channels. By adding different amounts of lead, cobalt or barium ions, the team found it could vastly increase or limit the amount of potassium passing through an artificial membrane, mimicking cells’ abilities to act as their own biochemical bouncers. Among the team’s more remarkable findings was that just a 1% increase in the presence of lead ions doubled the amount of potassium coming through the channels.

Female songbirds are more likely to sing when they share parenting responsibilities and live year-round in stable tropical environments, according to new research by University of the Pacific Professor of Biology Karan Odom. The findings, published in the journal Nature Communications, shed light on the evolutionary reasons behind female birdsong.

A pesky fish may be the culprit behind bleached tropical coral off the coast of the Florida Keys, according to research from the University of Georgia.