Biotechnology

  • Clockwork from scratch: How scientists made timekeeping cells
    on July 29, 2025 at 1:21 pm

    Scientists at UC Merced have engineered artificial cells that can keep perfect time—mimicking the 24-hour biological clocks found in living organisms. By reconstructing circadian machinery inside tiny vesicles, the researchers showed that even simplified synthetic systems can glow with a daily rhythm—if they have enough of the right proteins.

  • Millipedes make ants dizzy — and might soon treat human pain
    on July 25, 2025 at 11:14 am

    Millipedes, often dismissed as creepy crawlies, may hold the secret to future painkillers and neurological drugs. Researchers at Virginia Tech discovered unique alkaloid compounds in the defensive secretions of a native millipede species. These complex molecules, which cause disorientation in ants, interact with human neuroreceptors linked to pain and cognition. By decoding these natural chemical defenses, scientists could open a new path toward innovative drug therapies, though challenges remain in producing the compounds at scale.

  • The sugar that sparked life: Why ribose was RNA’s first choice
    on July 23, 2025 at 4:12 am

    What made ribose the sugar of choice for life's code? Scientists at Scripps Research may have cracked a major part of this mystery. Their experiments show that ribose binds more readily and selectively to phosphate compared to other similar sugars, forming a structure ideal for RNA formation. This discovery hints at how nature might have selected specific molecules long before enzymes or life existed, and could reshape our understanding of life’s chemical origins.

  • This genetic breakthrough could help thousands of species cheat extinction
    on July 21, 2025 at 6:24 am

    Gene editing may hold the key to rescuing endangered species—not just by preserving them, but by restoring their lost genetic diversity using DNA from museum specimens and related species. Scientists propose a visionary framework that merges biotechnology with traditional conservation, aiming to give struggling populations like Mauritius’ pink pigeon a fighting chance against extinction. From agriculture to de-extinction, these tools are already transforming biology—and now, they could transform the future of biodiversity itself.

  • Scientists just discovered a secret code hidden in your DNA
    on July 20, 2025 at 7:40 am

    What scientists once dismissed as junk DNA may actually be some of the most powerful code in our genome. A new international study reveals that ancient viral DNA buried in our genes plays an active role in controlling how other genes are turned on or off, especially during early human development. These sequences, originally from long-extinct viruses, have evolved to act like tiny genetic switches. Using new analysis tools and large-scale experiments, researchers discovered that certain viral DNA fragments are especially strong at activating genes and may even have helped shape what makes humans different from other primates.

  • Selfies, sugar, and death: How tourists are endangering elephants
    on July 18, 2025 at 7:12 am

    Tourists feeding wild elephants may seem innocent or even compassionate, but a new 18-year study reveals it s a recipe for disaster. Elephants in Sri Lanka and India have learned to beg for snacks sugary treats and human food leading to deadly encounters, injuries, and even the ingestion of plastic. Once wild animals become accustomed to handouts, they lose their natural instincts, grow bolder, and risk both their lives and the safety of humans.

  • The secret motor protein that slams leaf pores shut—and saves crops
    on July 16, 2025 at 6:25 am

    Scientists have discovered that a protein once thought to be just a cellular "courier" actually helps plants survive drought. This motor protein, myosin XI, plays a critical role in helping leaves close their pores to conserve water. When it's missing, plants lose water faster, respond poorly to drought, and activate fewer protective systems. The finding could open the door to hardier crops that can withstand a warming, drying world.

  • New study cracks the “tissue code” — just five rules shape organs
    on July 16, 2025 at 5:44 am

    Scientists have uncovered a surprisingly simple “tissue code”: five rules that choreograph when, where, and how cells divide, move, and die, allowing organs like the colon to remain flawlessly organized even as they renew every few days. Mathematical models showed that manipulating just these parameters faithfully recreates real tissue architecture, hinting that the same code may govern skin, brain, and more. The discovery offers a fresh way to understand healing, birth defects, and cancer, and could supercharge initiatives such as the Human Cell Atlas by turning static cell maps into dynamic predictions.

  • This tiny rice plant could feed the first lunar colony
    on July 11, 2025 at 12:01 pm

    In a bold step toward sustainable space travel, scientists are engineering a radically small, protein-rich rice that can grow in space. The Moon-Rice project, led by the Italian Space Agency in collaboration with three universities, aims to create crops that thrive in microgravity while boosting astronaut nutrition and well-being.

  • MIT scientists just supercharged the enzyme that powers all plant life
    on July 9, 2025 at 3:57 am

    Scientists at MIT have turbocharged one of nature’s most sluggish but essential enzymes—rubisco—by applying a cutting-edge evolution technique in living cells. Normally prone to wasteful reactions with oxygen, this revamped bacterial rubisco evolved to work more efficiently in oxygen-rich environments. This leap in enzyme performance could pave the way for improving photosynthesis in plants and, ultimately, increase crop yields.

  • How a lost gene gave the sea spider its bizarre, leggy body
    on July 7, 2025 at 8:49 am

    Scientists have decoded the sea spider’s genome for the first time, revealing how its strangely shaped body—with organs in its legs and barely any abdomen—may be tied to a missing gene. The detailed DNA map shows this ancient creature evolved differently from its spider and scorpion cousins, lacking genome duplications seen in those species. With new gene activity data, researchers now have a powerful tool to explore how sea spiders grow, regenerate, and evolved into some of the oddest arthropods on Earth.

  • From air to stone: The fig trees fighting climate change
    on July 7, 2025 at 3:54 am

    Kenyan fig trees can literally turn parts of themselves to stone, using microbes to convert internal crystals into limestone-like deposits that lock away carbon, sweeten surrounding soils, and still yield fruit—hinting at a delicious new weapon in the climate-change arsenal.

  • Scientists starved worms — then discovered the switch that controls aging
    on July 4, 2025 at 1:46 pm

    Scientists have discovered that starving and then refeeding worms can reveal surprising secrets about aging. When a specific gene (called TFEB) is missing, these worms don’t bounce back from fasting—they instead enter a state that looks a lot like aging in humans, with signs of stress and cell damage. This research gives scientists a simple but powerful way to study how aging begins—and how it might be stopped. Even more intriguing, the same process might help explain how some cancer cells survive treatment by going into a kind of sleep mode.

  • A cholesterol secret inside ticks may halt Lyme disease spread
    on July 4, 2025 at 11:57 am

    Scientists have discovered that the bacteria behind Lyme disease and anaplasmosis have a sneaky way of surviving inside ticks—they hijack the tick’s own cell functions to steal cholesterol they need to grow. By tapping into a built-in protein pathway, the bacteria keep themselves alive until they can infect a new host. The research opens the door to new methods of stopping these diseases before ticks ever get the chance to bite. A new web tool also reveals that this trick might be used by other blood-feeding bugs too.

  • Scientists reprogram ant behavior using brain molecules
    on June 25, 2025 at 10:32 am

    Leafcutter ants live in highly organized colonies where every ant has a job, and now researchers can flip those jobs like a switch. By manipulating just two neuropeptides, scientists can turn defenders into nurses or gardeners into leaf harvesters. These same molecular signals echo in naked mole-rats, revealing a deep evolutionary link in how complex societies function, even across species. The study also teases out a possible connection to insulin and longevity, hinting at new frontiers in understanding human behavior and lifespan.

  • Mojave lichen defies death rays—could life thrive on distant exoplanets?
    on June 25, 2025 at 2:58 am

    Lichen from the Mojave Desert has stunned scientists by surviving months of lethal UVC radiation, suggesting life could exist on distant planets orbiting volatile stars. The secret? A microscopic “sunscreen” layer that protects their vital cells—even though Earth’s atmosphere already filters out such rays.

  • These frozen wolf cubs ate a woolly rhino—and changed what we know about dogs
    on June 24, 2025 at 1:24 pm

    Two Ice Age wolf pups once thought to be early dogs have been identified as wild wolves, thanks to detailed DNA and chemical analysis. Surprisingly, their last meals included woolly rhinoceros meat—an unusually large prey item—hinting that ancient wolves might have been bigger than today’s. Their well-preserved bodies also shed light on wolf pack behavior and Ice Age environments.

  • From cursed tomb fungus to cancer cure: Aspergillus flavus yields potent new drug
    on June 23, 2025 at 11:27 am

    In a remarkable twist of science, researchers have transformed a fungus long associated with death into a potential weapon against cancer. Found in tombs like that of King Tut, Aspergillus flavus was once feared for its deadly spores. Now, scientists at Penn and several partner institutions have extracted a new class of molecules from it—called asperigimycins—that show powerful effects against leukemia cells. These compounds, part of a rare group known as fungal RiPPs, were bioengineered for potency and appear to disrupt cancer cell division with high specificity.

  • Frozen in time: Transparent worms keep genes in sync for 20 million years
    on June 20, 2025 at 7:15 am

    Even after 20 million years of evolutionary separation, two tiny worm species show astonishingly similar patterns in how they turn genes on and off. Scientists mapped every cell s activity during development and found that genes essential to basic functions like muscles and digestion remained largely unchanged. Meanwhile, genes linked to sensing the environment or brain-like functions showed more variation. This high-resolution comparison of every cell between species may help unlock mysteries of how life evolves and adapts without always changing how it looks.

  • Microscopic heist: How lung bacteria forge weapons to steal iron and survive
    on June 19, 2025 at 7:55 am

    Researchers investigating the enigmatic and antibiotic-resistant Pandoraea bacteria have uncovered a surprising twist: these pathogens don't just pose risks they also produce powerful natural compounds. By studying a newly discovered gene cluster called pan, scientists identified two novel molecules Pandorabactin A and B that allow the bacteria to steal iron from their environment, giving them a survival edge in iron-poor places like the human body. These molecules also sabotage rival bacteria by starving them of iron, potentially reshaping microbial communities in diseases like cystic fibrosis.

  • Rainbow reefs revealed: The secret 112-million-year saga of glowing fish
    on June 17, 2025 at 5:41 am

    Scientists have uncovered that fish biofluorescence a captivating ability to glow in vivid colors has ancient roots stretching back over 100 million years. This trait evolved independently in reef fish more than 100 times, likely influenced by post-dinosaur-extinction reef expansion. The glowing spectacle is more diverse than previously imagined, spanning multiple colors across hundreds of species.

  • Scientists discover natural cancer-fighting sugar in sea cucumbers
    on June 11, 2025 at 12:41 pm

    Sea cucumbers, long known for cleaning the ocean floor, may also harbor a powerful cancer-fighting secret. Scientists discovered a unique sugar in these marine creatures that can block Sulf-2, an enzyme that cancer cells use to spread. Unlike traditional medications, this compound doesn t cause dangerous blood clotting issues and offers a cleaner, potentially more sustainable way to develop carbohydrate-based drugs if scientists can find a way to synthesize it in the lab.

  • Two plant species invent the same chemically complex and medically interesting substance
    on June 3, 2025 at 3:48 pm

    The biosynthesis of the great variety of natural plant products has not yet been elucidated for many medically interesting substances. In a new study, an international team of researchers was able to show how ipecacuanha alkaloids, substances used in traditional medicine, are synthesized. They compared two distantly related plant species and were able to show that although both plant species use a comparable chemical approach, the enzymes they need for synthesis differ and a different starting material is used. Further investigations revealed that the biosynthetic pathways of these complex chemical compounds have developed independently in the two species. These results help to enable the synthesis of these and related substances on a larger scale for medical use.

  • Nitrogen loss on sandy shores: The big impact of tiny anoxic pockets
    on June 2, 2025 at 7:53 pm

    Some microbes living on sand grains use up all the oxygen around them. Their neighbors, left without oxygen, make the best of it: They use nitrate in the surrounding water for denitrification -- a process hardly possible when oxygen is present. This denitrification in sandy sediments in well-oxygenated waters can substantially contribute to nitrogen loss in the oceans.

  • Synthetic compound shows promise against multidrug resistance
    on June 2, 2025 at 7:49 pm

    Researchers have synthesized a new compound called infuzide that shows activity against resistant strains of pathogens.

  • Insect protein blocks bacterial infection
    on June 2, 2025 at 7:48 pm

    Scientists in Australia have developed a smart, bacteria-repelling coating based on resilin the ultra-elastic protein that gives fleas their legendary jumping power. When applied to surfaces like medical implants or surgical tools, the engineered resilin forms nano-droplets that physically disrupt bacterial cells, including antibiotic-resistant strains like MRSA, without harming human tissue. In lab tests, the coating was 100% effective at keeping bacteria from sticking and forming biofilms, a key cause of infection after surgery.

  • Scientists find a new way to help plants fight diseases
    on May 30, 2025 at 4:39 pm

    Laboratory could improve crop resilience In a discovery three decades in the making, scientists have acquired detailed knowledge about the internal structures and mode of regulation for a specialized protein and are proceeding to develop tools that can capitalize on its ability to help plants combat a wide range of diseases. The work, which exploits a natural process where plant cells die on purpose to help the host plant stay healthy, is expected to have wide applications in the agricultural sector, offering new ways to protect major food crops from a variety of devastating diseases, the scientists said.

  • The EU should allow gene editing to make organic farming more sustainable, researchers say
    on May 30, 2025 at 4:38 pm

    To achieve the European Green Deal's goal of 25% organic agriculture by 2030, researchers argue that new genomic techniques (NGTs) should be allowed without pre-market authorization in organic as well as conventional food production. NGTs -- also known as gene editing --- are classified under the umbrella of GMOs, but they involve more subtle genetic tweaks.

  • Could 'pausing' cell death be the final frontier in medicine on Earth and beyond?
    on May 29, 2025 at 4:48 pm

    The process of necrosis, a form of cell death, may represent one of the most promising ways to change the course of human aging, disease and even space travel, according to a new study.

  • 'Future-proofing' crops will require urgent, consistent effort
    on May 29, 2025 at 4:47 pm

    A professor of crop sciences and of plant biology describes research efforts to 'future-proof' the crops that are essential to feeding a hungry world in a changing climate. Long, who has spent decades studying the process of photosynthesis and finding ways to improve it, provides an overview of key scientific findings that offer a ray of hope.

  • Keep the cool feeling: A lipid enzyme for maintaining cool temperature sensation and avoidance
    on May 29, 2025 at 4:47 pm

    Researchers have identified a monoacylglycerol acyltransferase-coding gene named bishu-1. It is involved in the thermal responsiveness of cool temperature-sensing neurons by regulating ionotropic receptor expression, thereby maintaining the cool temperature avoidance behaviors in Drosophila larvae.

  • HIV discovery could open door to long-sought cure
    on May 29, 2025 at 4:44 pm

    New HIV research shows that small changes in the virus affect how quickly or slowly it replicates and how easily it can reawaken in the body. These insights bring researchers closer to finding ways to flush out the dormant virus and eliminate it for good.

  • Cannabis pangenome reveals potential for medicinal and industrial use
    on May 29, 2025 at 4:42 pm

    Scientists analyzed almost 200 cannabis genomes to create the most comprehensive, high-quality, detailed genetic atlas of the plant to date. The atlas reveals unprecedented diversity and complexity within the species, sets the stage for advances in cannabis-based agriculture, medicine, and industry, and builds on a 10,000-year long relationship between humans and cannabis, showing that cannabis can be as important as other crops like corn or wheat.

  • Yeast can now produce human DNase1
    on May 28, 2025 at 5:21 pm

    The protein DNase1 is one of the oldest biological agents in history: It has been on the market since 1958 and is now used, among other things, to treat cystic fibrosis. However, it takes considerable effort to produce it in immortalized hamster cells. This process is also costly. It would be far more cost-effective to produce it with undemanding yeast cells.

  • In nature's math, freedoms are fundamental
    on May 28, 2025 at 5:21 pm

    Scientists have developed a unified theory for mathematical parameters known as gauge freedoms. Their new formulas will allow researchers to interpret research results much faster and with greater confidence. The development could prove fundamental for future efforts in agriculture, drug discovery, and beyond.

  • Chemists recreate how RNA might have reproduced for first time
    on May 28, 2025 at 5:20 pm

    Chemists have demonstrated how RNA (ribonucleic acid) might have replicated itself on early Earth -- a key process in the origin of life.

  • A high-fat diet sets off metabolic dysfunction in cells, leading to weight gain
    on May 28, 2025 at 5:18 pm

    Researchers find high-fat diets set off metabolic dysfunction in cells, leading to weight gain, but these effects can be reversed by treatment with an antioxidant.

  • Researchers engineer a herpes virus to turn on T cells for immunotherapy
    on May 28, 2025 at 5:18 pm

    A team identified herpes virus saimiri, which infects the T cells of squirrel monkeys, as a source of proteins that activate pathways in T cells that are needed to promote T cell survival.

  • Discovery offers new insights into skin healing in salmon
    on May 27, 2025 at 4:43 pm

    Scientists have discovered cells in the skin of Atlantic salmon that offer new insights into how wounds heal, tissues regenerate, and cellular transitions support long-term skin health.

  • Flowers unfold with surprising precision, despite unruly genes
    on May 26, 2025 at 7:01 pm

    Flowers grow stems, leaves and petals in a perfect pattern again and again. A new study shows that even in this precise, patterned formation in plants, gene activity inside individual cells is far more chaotic than it appears.

  • A root development gene that's older than root development
    on May 26, 2025 at 7:01 pm

    A gene that regulates the development of roots in vascular plants is also involved in the organ development of liverworts -- land plants so old they don't even have proper roots. The discovery highlights the fundamental evolutionary dynamic of co-opting, evolving a mechanism first and adopting it for a different purpose later.

  • Assembly instructions for enzymes
    on May 23, 2025 at 10:13 pm

    In biology, enzymes have evolved over millions of years to drive chemical reactions. Scientists have now derived universal rules to enable the de novo design of optimal enzymes. As an example, they considered the enzymatic reaction of breaking a dimer into two monomer molecules. Considering the geometry of such an enzyme-substrate-complex, they identified three golden rules that should be considered to build a functional enzyme.

  • Modulation of antiviral response in fungi via RNA editing
    on May 23, 2025 at 4:04 pm

    The molecular pathways involved in antiviral defenses and counter-defenses in host-pathogen systems remain unclear. Researchers have used Neurospora crassa as a model organism to explore how RNA editing influences fungal antiviral responses. They identified two neighboring genes -- an RNA-editing enzyme (old) and a transcription factor (zao) -- that regulate virus-induced gene expression. Their findings show how the old-zao module controls both asymptomatic and symptomatic infections, providing new insight into conserved antiviral mechanisms in fungi.

  • An artificial protein that moves like something found in nature
    on May 22, 2025 at 8:26 pm

    Proteins catalyze life by changing shape when they interact with other molecules. The result is a muscle twitching, the perception of light, or a bit of energy extracted from food. The ability to engineer shapeshifting proteins opens new avenues for medicine, agriculture, and beyond.

  • 'Selfish' genes called introners proven to be a major source of genetic complexity
    on May 22, 2025 at 5:35 pm

    A new study proves that a type of genetic element called 'introners' are the mechanism by which many introns spread within and between species, also providing evidence of eight instances in which introners have transferred between unrelated species in a process called 'horizontal gene transfer,' the first proven examples of this phenomenon.

  • Study discovers DNA switch that controls TB growth, and could help unlock its antibiotic resistance secrets
    on May 22, 2025 at 4:52 pm

    The bacteria that cause tuberculosis (TB) may have an 'on-off switch' that lets them pause and restart growth, according to a new study. The research helps explain why TB is so hard to treat with antibiotics and could pave the way for better drugs.

  • A potential 'anti-spice' that could dial down the heat of fiery food
    on May 22, 2025 at 4:48 pm

    If you've ever regretted ordering a spicy meal, take note: A new study identifying molecules that suppress the heat of chili peppers hints at the possibility of adapting these compounds into an 'anti-spice' condiment for food that's too fiery to eat. The research helps explain differences in chili pepper pungency, or spiciness, by identifying three compounds in a range of pepper samples that chemical analysis predicted, and study participants on a tasting panel confirmed, are linked to lower heat intensity.

  • The dietary bug in a cancer therapy
    on May 21, 2025 at 5:16 pm

    A study has uncovered a surprising link between diet, intestinal microbes and the efficacy of cancer therapy.

  • Researchers identify a dual origin of cells controlling puberty and reproduction
    on May 21, 2025 at 4:48 pm

    Researchers have shown that gonadotrophs, cells in the pituitary gland with a key role in puberty and reproduction, come from two different populations, with the majority produced after birth rather than in the embryo, as previously thought.

  • Unlocking the secrets of bat immunity
    on May 21, 2025 at 4:47 pm

    Bats are known as natural hosts for highly pathogenic viruses such as MERS- and SARS-related coronaviruses, as well as the Marburg and Nipah viruses. In contrast to the severe and often fatal disease outcomes these viruses cause in humans, bats generally do not show obvious signs of viral illness following infection. An international research team has developed an innovative organoid research platform that allowed them to closely investigate the cellular antiviral defense mechanisms of mucosal epithelial tissues of bats. The results could pave the way for the development of new therapies against viral diseases.

  • Engineered bacteria can deliver antiviral therapies, vaccines
    on May 21, 2025 at 4:46 pm

    New research demonstrates how specially engineered bacteria taken orally can operate as a delivery system for vaccines and antiviral therapies.

  • Natural algal communities can inhibit aquaculture pathogens
    on May 21, 2025 at 4:46 pm

    Antimicrobial resistance is a growing issue in aquaculture. Researchers discovered that combinations of bacteria from live-feed microalgae are capable of inhibiting pathogens.

  • Hand2: positional code that allows axolotls to regrow limbs found
    on May 21, 2025 at 4:41 pm

    With its fascinating ability to regrow entire limbs and internal organs, the Mexican axolotl is the ideal model for studying regeneration. Scientists have now found a factor that tells cells which part of the arm to regenerate -- and used it to reprogram the identity of cells as they develop. This breakthrough for the regeneration research field has implications for tissue engineering, including in human tissues.

  • Live view: Stress-induced changes in generations of cancer cells
    on May 21, 2025 at 4:41 pm

    Cancer cells respond to stress with greater diversity. Drugs that affect DNA replication, or radiation that causes direct DNA damage, lead to increasingly diverse offspring over multiple cell generations. This increases the tumor's genetic complexity and facilitates the development of resistance to therapy. Researchers have now investigated the emergence of cellular diversity in real time.

  • How membranes may have brought about the chemistry of life on Earth
    on May 20, 2025 at 8:18 pm

    A team of researchers studied the properties of membranes to understand how these cellular structures influenced the chemistry of life on Earth as it began.

  • Advanced genomics study improves detection of hard-to-find diarrheal infections
    on May 20, 2025 at 4:15 pm

    A study has used advanced genetic and genomic techniques to offer a major step forward in understanding and diagnosing infectious intestinal diseases. The large-scale study analyzed more than 1,000 stool samples from people with diarrheal illness to harness two cutting edge tools. The study used metagenomic (DNA-based) and metatranscriptomic (gene or RNA-based) sequencing. Unlike traditional methods, these techniques do not rely on growing organisms in a lab. Instead, they detect and analyze the genetic material directly from patient samples.

  • 'Cutting to survive': How cells remove DNA bridges at the last moment
    on May 19, 2025 at 5:18 pm

    Scientists have elucidated the molecular mechanism by which LEM-3 cuts DNA bridges during cytokinesis.

  • Family of parasite proteins presents new potential malaria treatment target
    on May 19, 2025 at 5:14 pm

    Researchers have shown that the evolution of a family of exported proteins in the malaria-causing parasite Plasmodium falciparum enabled it to infect humans.

  • Scientific breakthrough: We can now halve the price of costly cancer drug
    on May 19, 2025 at 5:14 pm

    The demand for the widely used cancer drug Taxol is increasing, but it's difficult and expensive to produce because it hasn't been possible to do it biosynthetically. Until now, that is. Researchers have now cracked the last part of a code that science has struggled with for 30 years. The breakthrough could halve the price of the drug and make production far more sustainable.

  • How to swim without a brain
    on May 19, 2025 at 5:13 pm

    A team was able to show that swimming movements are possible even without a central control unit. This not only explains the behavior of microorganisms, it could also enable nanobots to move in a targeted manner, for example to transport drugs to the right place in the body.

Sarah Ibrahim