Search the life sciences

12+ hour, 42+ min ago (1348+ words) In a groundbreaking study poised to redefine the paradigms of postharvest technology, researchers Kim, de Jesus Ornelas-Paz, and Prakash have unveiled compelling evidence demonstrating the nuanced effects of low-dose food irradiation on antioxidant systems in fruits and vegetables after harvest. Published in the prestigious journal Food Science and Biotechnology, this investigation dives deep into the [] In a groundbreaking study poised to redefine the paradigms of postharvest technology, researchers Kim, de Jesus Ornelas-Paz, and Prakash have unveiled compelling evidence demonstrating the nuanced effects of low-dose food irradiation on antioxidant systems in fruits and vegetables after harvest. Published in the prestigious journal Food Science and Biotechnology, this investigation dives deep into the biochemical and molecular landscapes altered by irradiation, offering promising implications for shelf life extension, food safety, and nutritional quality. As the global demand for fresh produce grows exponentially, findings from…...

16+ hour, 55+ min ago (285+ words) These three distinguished researchers bring their expertise in synthetic biology, materials science, and genome research to contribute to the Institute's mission of societal impact Boston, Dec. 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- By Jessica Leff Ahmad (Mo) Khalil is the'Hok Lam and Kathleen Kam Wong Professor of Bioengineering'at the'Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences'and an Associate Member of the'Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. As the co-founder of K2 Therapeutics and Fynch Biosciences, Khalil has had a strong interest in translating his work. Mason earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and obtained his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley. Before joining Harvard University in 2018, he trained as a postdoctoral fellow at Northwestern University.' Over the last year, Mason has been collaborating with Core Faculty member'Pamela Silver, Ph.D., and Senior Scientist'Marika Ziesack, Ph.D., on a project involving…...

23+ hour, 49+ min ago (623+ words) A picture of the edible fungus genetically engineered by scientists. (Xiao Liu via SWNS) Frankenstein fungi that tastes similar to meat and is easy to digest has been created. The genetically engineered food is also protein packed and sustainable, say scientists. Chinese researchers used gene-editing technology called CRISPR to increase a fungus's production efficiency and cut its related environmental impact by up to 61% - all without adding any foreign DNA. They say the genetically tweaked fungus tastes like meat and is easier to digest than its naturally occurring counterpart. Study corresponding author Professor Xiao Liu, of Jiangnan University, said: "There is a popular demand for better and more sustainable protein for food. "We successfully made a fungus not only more nutritious but also more environmentally friendly by tweaking its genes." He says animal agriculture is responsible for about 14% of global greenhouse…...

3+ day, 10+ hour ago (886+ words) Nobel Prize- winning American scientist James Dewey Watson, the man who unravelled the "secret of life, passed away on November 6, 2025. Watson, who is widely remembered as the Godfather of ... Mainstream, Vol 63 No 49 December 6, 2025 Obituary: James Watson (1928-2025) " The Double Helix and the Matilda Effect: Gender, Power, and the Social Politics of Scientific Knowledge | Jos Chathukulam Nobel Prize- winning American scientist James Dewey Watson, the man who unravelled the "secret of life, passed away on November 6, 2025. Watson, who is widely remembered as the Godfather of Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA), identified the double-helix structure of DNA molecule in 1953 alongside British scientist Francis Circk and Maurice Wilkins. It is hailed as one of the greatest scientific breakthroughs of the 20th century that eventually set the stage for rapid advances in molecular biology. Their scientific discovery revolutionized biology by revealing the structure of DNA, how genetic information…...

3+ day, 22+ hour ago (33+ words) A tiny amoeba has broken a pretty big record. The newly discovered species of single-celled organism can divide and reproduce at a piping hot 63 degrees Celsius (145 degrees Fahrenheit), higher than ......

5+ day, 18+ hour ago (349+ words) NYU biologists identified the unique transcriptional machinery that ants use to choose a single scent receptor out of the 500 they have available. Maintaining a keen sense of smell is particularly important for ants, which have poor vision and rely on olfactory receptors for hunting." Ants possess hundreds of olfactory receptor proteins, organized into clusters with up to 59 genes each, and use a self-regulating mechanism to activate only one receptor per neuron, so that each neuron can only detect one scent. In the October study, the team mapped every neuron's gene activity to track how ants flip an odor gene, identifying a pattern they called a "biological bulldozer." "We need just one gene to be activated in a cell, so a "bulldozer' is transcriptional machinery that helps activate a specific gene," Olena Kolumba, a Biology Ph.D. student and second author of…...

6+ day, 1+ hour ago (1760+ words) ISC Biology Specimen Paper 2026 for Class 12: The ISC Biology Exam 2026 is going to be held on Friday, March 6, 2026, and students preparing for the Class 12 CISCE Board Exam must go through the latest ISC Biology Specimen Paper 2026 to strengthen their preparation. The board has released the official Biology specimen paper to help students understand the exact paper pattern, question types, marking scheme, and overall difficulty level expected in the final exam." By solving the ISC Biology Specimen Paper 2026 Class 12, students can practice important concepts, analyze their strong and weak areas, and learn effective time-management skills. Download the CISCE Class 12 Biology sample paper PDF from the link below and boost your readiness for the upcoming exam. Check the table below for detailed information about ISC Class 12 Biology Exam 2026: Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) ISC Class 12 Biology Board Exam 2026 Friday,…...

6+ day, 15+ hour ago (824+ words) Elevational gradients in grassland ecosystems have long piqued the interest of ecologists seeking to unveil the complex interactions interlaced within these biodiverse communities. Recent research led by Mugnai et al. has brought to light the intricate relationships among vascular plants, bryophytes, and lichens along these gradients. This study, published in the journal "Scientific Naturalist," offers [] Elevational gradients in grassland ecosystems have long piqued the interest of ecologists seeking to unveil the complex interactions interlaced within these biodiverse communities. Recent research led by Mugnai et al. has brought to light the intricate relationships among vascular plants, bryophytes, and lichens along these gradients. This study, published in the journal "Scientific Naturalist," offers an engaging exploration of how species at varying elevations interact, influence one another, and ultimately contribute to the overall dynamics of grassland communities. As climate change continues to alter these…...

6+ day, 16+ hour ago (558+ words) Credit: Genome Research RECOMB Special Issue LLOKI (Haber et al. 2025) is a method for integrating image-based spatial transcriptomics data across multiple platforms by incorporating feature alignment across gene panels and batch alignment across technologies. When tested on real data, LLOKI outperforms existing methods at identifying spatial gene programs in normal physiology and disease." Chandra et al. (2025) present a method, Pangenome-based Haplotype Inference (PHI), that uses pangenome references to improve genotyping accuracy from short-read sequencing data. When tested on a sample dataset of haploid genomes, this method accurately"estimates haplotype sequences in low-coverage inputs and repeat-rich regions." Methods that aim to improve metagenomic analyses are also presented. Shaw et al. (2025) present devider, a method for haplotyping small sequences from long-read sequencing data including in heterogeneous mixtures like viral coinfection and metagenomes." Long-read approaches like optical genome mapping (OGM) offer an accurate…...

6+ day, 22+ hour ago (222+ words) The research presented by Zheng, Liang, and Shi ultimately opens up a myriad of questions about the evolutionary adaptations of species facing environmental stresses. It emphasizes the necessity for continuous exploration and understanding of nature's intricacies, paving the way for novel insights that bridge ecological theory and evolutionary biology. This compelling study lays the foundation for a more nuanced understanding of reptilian adaptations and offers a clear call to action for future investigations. As researchers continue to unravel the complexities of the natural world, studies like this underline the significance of even the smallest anatomical features and their far-reaching implications for survival. In summary, the exploration of toe fringes in lizards has unveiled a remarkable aspect of evolutionary adaptation, demonstrating that seemingly minor features can have major ecological ramifications. The findings from this study not only enrich the scientific discourse…...