Once hunted to near extinction, sea otters have returned to California. A new study reveals the key role these critters play in maintaining coastal ecosystems. Continue reading Sea otters protect coastlines from erosion
By Mara Casebeer Just like a city has highways to transport goods and people from one area to another, your cells have their own set of highways to transport important components like proteins and genetic material. These cellular highways are called microtubules, and they are traversed not by trucks and cars, but by molecular motors – proteins that can carry cargo and step along microtubules … Continue reading How Molecular Motors Harness the Power of Thermodynamic Fluctuations
After generating 187 new genomes from primate species, researchers found a large fraction of the human genome that is highly conserved across evolution. Continue reading Researchers identify regions in the human genome that are consistent across primates
Scientists have long struggled to explain the formation of dolomite, a mineral that is abundant in ancient rocks. A new theory solves this 200-year-old problem, paving the way for exciting innovations in materials science. Continue reading Scientists solve a mountainous mystery
Researchers have discovered that one of humanity’s closest relatives also experiences menopause, contradicting a popular hypothesis about the evolutionary origins of this process. Continue reading Chimpanzees go through menopause, too
In 250 million years, the continents will combine to form Pangaea Ultima, dramatically altering Earth’s climate. Continue reading Pangaea 2.0 may drive mammals to extinction
In a recent study from UCSF and MIT, researchers found that they could identify evolutionary differences in biological function by comparing the results of CRISPR screens in humans and chimpanzees. Continue reading Scientists compare CRISPR screens in chimpanzee and human cells to understand evolution
by Mara Casebeer Most bacteria, like the common E. coli, are around a micron in length – less than a tenth of the width of a strand of human hair and invisible without a microscope. Recently, scientists discovered a bacterium, Candidatus (Ca.) Thiomargarita magnifica, that is almost 10,000 times longer than E. coli. Ca. T. magnifica cells were found attached to sunken leaves in the … Continue reading How this Long Bacterium Beats the Diffusion Limit
by Arianna Lord Continue reading What is environmental DNA?
by Abby Knecht Continue reading What is….the human microbiome?