Researchers at the University of Nevada, Reno have completed one of the most extensive river resilience studies, examining how river ecosystems recover following floods. They developed a novel modeling approach that used data from oxygen sensors placed in

Toxoplasmosis is an infectious disease found worldwide, caused by the single-celled parasite Toxoplasma gondii. In humans, infection poses a particular risk to pregnant women, as it can lead to birth defects. Like the closely related malaria pathogen—Plas

Increasing access to water in extremely arid parts of sub-Saharan Africa can help nomadic livestock farmers in the short term. However, in the long run, it may lead to serious consequences for their livelihoods. This is shown by new research from Uppsala

Wageningen researchers have discovered a molecular self-destruct mechanism in a bacterium living on seaweed. With this mechanism the bacteria sacrifice themselves when they are infected, thus protecting their brothers and sisters from infections. By repro

Plant leaves come in many different shapes, sizes and complexities. Some leaves are large and smooth, while others are smaller and serrated. Some leaves grow in single pieces while others form multiple leaflets. These variations in leaf structure play a c

Despite the pronounced seasonality in their habitat, the bacterial community in Arctic sediments is taxonomically and functionally very stable.

A trio of biologists at Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, in Brazil, has verified that a tiny frog, Brachycephalus pulex, also known as the Brazilian flea toad, which is found only in southern Brazil, is not only the world's smallest amphibian, it is

Belgian researchers from VIB-KULeuven Center for Microbiology and VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology have developed a new toolbox of 16 different short DNA sequences that allow triggering controlled and specific recombination events in any genome.

On a remote tropical island in the Atlantic Ocean, a pair of marooned pirates have been discovered. While they lack eyepatches and cutlasses, the two new species of pirate spider certainly live up to their nautical name, which refers to their habit of vio

A research team has investigated the effects of agricultural grassland use on communities of organisms. Their study, recently published in the journal Nature Communications, for the first time reveals that measures such as fertilization and mowing affect

A 280-million-year-old fossil that has baffled researchers for decades has been shown to be—in part—a forgery, following new examination of the remnants.

The Amazon rainforest is facing a barrage of pressures that might tip it into large-scale ecosystem collapse as soon as 2050, according to new research Wednesday warning of dire consequences for the region and the world.