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Biology

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 3-Jun-2026 17:16 ET (3-Jun-2026 21:16 GMT/UTC)

Extreme adaptation helps Dead Sea single-celled organisms to swim

Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) Graduate University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

In a new Nature Communications study, researchers from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) and the Institute of Protein Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences have described in detail a structural adaptation supporting the survival of one of the Dead Sea’s few hardy inhabitants — a single-celled archaea called Haloarcula marismortui (H. marismortui). Using single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), the researchers characterized the proteins that form the archaeal filament (also known as archaellum), a long tail-like structure essential for movement.

Journal: Nature Communications
Funder: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development

Leafy Lovers: Male katydids use their leaflike camouflage to amplify attractiveness

University of St. Andrews
Peer-Reviewed Publication

This is the first demonstration of how impressive leaf mimicry can also be used to enhance the attractiveness of a sexual signal. Katydids create songs by rubbing specialised structures on their wings together but in many tropical species, the leaf-mimicking portion makes up the majority of the wing surface. The researchers found that males are able to use the acoustic properties of these structures to their reproductive advantage.

Journal: Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences

City birds dazzle females with ‘borrowed’ human items

University of Exeter
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Bowerbirds in an Australian city use a range of human items – from glass and plastic to banknotes and even a pair of handcuffs – to impress females, new research shows.

Journal: Royal Society Open Science
Funder: Natural Environment Research Council

Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation names three new Quantitative Biology Fellows

Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation
Grant and Award Announcement

Damon Runyon has awarded Quantitative Biology Fellowships to three outstanding young scientists applying computational approaches to persistent biological questions. Their projects will use machine learning, spatialomics, advanced network modeling, and other technologies to better understand breast cancer risk, improve response to immunotherapies, and identify new chromosomal drivers of cancer. Each postdoctoral scientist will receive independent funding ($240,000 total) to train under the joint mentorship of an established computational scientist and a cancer biologist.

Sharks thrive in hot spots of prey

Florida International University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers from FIU have discovered that bigger species of shark, such as the Caribbean reef shark, prefer to hunt in small reef areas that are densely populated with prey.

Journal: Animal Conservation
Funder: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Robot fish could help explain how our ancient ancestors first learned to walk

University of Cambridge
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers have developed a fish-like robot that shows how some species of modern fish are able to walk on land, and could help unravel how early vertebrates evolved similar abilities hundreds of millions of years ago.

Journal: Nature Communications

T cells may be key to stopping measles virus—and its deadly relatives

La Jolla Institute for Immunology
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) have discovered how T cells target paramyxoviruses, a viral family that includes measles virus and Nipah virus.

Journal: Cell Reports Medicine
Funder: Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations

Epigenetic changes can be inherited without changing DNA in animals

Queen Mary University of London
Peer-Reviewed Publication

In a new study by researchers at Queen Mary University of London, a sea anemone has revealed that epigenetic changes can be inherited across generations, offering rare experimental evidence that information beyond DNA sequence can persist in animal lineages.

Journal: Nature Ecology & Evolution

WVU study shows pregnant women who sit less and move more have fewer adverse outcomes

West Virginia University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A study by researchers at West Virginia University and two other university-affiliated medical centers found a greater-than-expected significance in the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, including gestational diabetes and preeclampsia, for women who spend more time sitting compared to those who include even light activity in their daily routines.

Journal: Journal of the American Medical Association

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