An extinct lineage of parasitic wasps dating from the mid-Cretaceous period and preserved in amber may have used their Venus flytrap-like abdomen to capture and immobilize their prey.

Standard genetic sequencing approaches can tell you a lot about the genetic makeup and activity in a sample, like a piece of tissue or drop of blood. But they don't tell you where specific genetic sequences were located inside that sample, or their relat

Scientists at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), in collaboration with international partners, have developed a novel approach to addressing uncertainties in ecological and environmental projections, providing a more robust assessment of ext

Wildlife conservation is critical to sustaining the planet's biodiversity and health. But putting together a conservation plan is a tall order. First of all, you need to determine what species you're conserving, along with their numbers, habitat needs,

A study focusing on analyzing cell models found universality in their movement—an important discovery that could impact both health and robotics.

Life has evolved over billions of years, adapting to the changing environment. Similarly, enzymes—proteins that speed up biochemical reactions (catalysis) in cells—have adapted to the habitats of their host organisms. Each enzyme has an optimal temperatur

A team of entomologists and botanists at the International Center of Insect Physiology and Ecology in Nairobi and the University of Pretoria has found that adding silicon to soil can help tomato plants fight off the destructive South American tomato pinwo

Would you answer someone's cry for help if that someone was sitting unharmed in front of you? Most probably would not, and bats have similar reservations, according to a new study published in Current Biology in which researchers from the Museum für Natu

A new study reveals plants, fungi, bacteria, protists, and even some viruses deploy venom-like mechanisms, similar to that of venomous snakes, scorpions and spiders, according to researchers at Loma Linda University School of Medicine.

Plant behavior may seem rather boring compared with the frenetic excesses of animals. Yet the lives of our vegetable friends, who tirelessly feed the entire biosphere (including us), are full of exciting action. It just requires a little more effort to ap

Foie gras is a unique delicacy made from the liver of a duck or goose. While it can be an acquired taste, the buttery, fatty dish is an indulgent cuisine prized in many parts of the world.

The pathogen C. diff—the most common cause of health care-associated infectious diarrhea—can use a compound that kills the human gut's resident microbes to survive and grow, giving it a competitive advantage in the infected gut.