A UC Berkeley study concluded last year that the fruits chimps eat in the wild contain enough ethanol to deliver about 14 milligrams daily. But only analysis of chimp urine could prove they actually consume substantial ethanol. After collecting chimp urine last year, the researchers found that most tested positive (>500 ng/ml) on immunoassays commonly given to humans required to abstain from alcohol. In humans, this level indicates light drinking within the previous 24 hours.

Depending on others for something you need may feel like a risky proposition—and perhaps a human one. It is actually a survival strategy found in the microbial world, and far more frequently than one might expect. Discovering why is key to understanding how microbes form stable communities across medical, industrial, and ecological settings. A new study by bioengineering professor Sergei Maslov, computational scientist Ashish George, and biology professor Tong Wang explores why interdependence can be such a winning move for microbial communities.

The peer review process in scientific publishing has reached a critical point where there are too many manuscript submissions and not enough peer reviewers. UW News asked Carl Bergstrom, University of Washington professor of biology, and Kevin Gross, North Carolina State University professor of statistics, to describe this self-perpetuating cycle and potential interventions.