The identification of genes involved in diseases is one of the major challenges of biomedical research. Researchers at the University of Bonn and the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) have developed a method that makes their identification much easier and fa

Parasites that cause the deadly illness known as sleeping sickness can spread beyond their native Africa as a result of mutations to key genes, a study shows.

The biological factory that produces reproductive cells has a robust quality control system to identify and eliminate eggs with chromosomal abnormalities. For years, cell biologists have sought to uncover the mechanisms behind this system, relying on trad

Researchers from Aarhus University (AU) have developed a new technology that uses microorganisms to convert the CO2 in flue gas directly for new purposes—for example fuels or substances for the chemicals industry.

Desert locusts typically lead solitary lives until something—like intense rainfall—triggers them to swarm in vast numbers, often with devastating consequences.

Scientists have uncovered a new role for a cell's own RNA in fending off attacks by RNA viruses. Some of the cell's RNA molecules, researchers found, help regulate antiviral signaling. These signals are part of the intricate coordination of immune respo

If all the world's a stage and all the species merely players, then their exits and entrances can be found in the rock record. Fossilized skeletons and shells clearly show how evolution and extinction unfolded over the past half a billion years, but a Vi

La Brea Tar Pits scientists have identified a previously unknown juniper species as Juniperus scopulorum, commonly known as the Rocky Mountain Juniper. The successful identification, along with the first-ever radiocarbon dating of these fossil plants in S

At one time or another, most of us have played with a flipbook, using our thumbs to rapidly flip a series of pictures to create an illusion of movement.

A concentrated sugar solution could be just as effective as antibiotics at treating a common infection in dairy cows, according to a new study led by researchers at Penn State. The results were recently published in the journal Frontiers in Veterinary Sci

Within minutes of fertilization, the egg of a fruit fly becomes a scene from the battle of the sexes. The egg attacks and destroys the cellular "power plants" (mitochondria) from the sperm that had fertilized it, so that only its own mitochondri

Despite their reputation as buzzing nuisances, flies serve a critical role as some of the Earth's most prolific pollinators—and new research led by Penn State scientists suggests they are increasingly at risk due to rising global temperatures.