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The Intricate Network of Stick Insects’ Leg Muscles

Researchers at the University of Cologne have discovered new details on the process underlying the stick insect’s leg muscles’ rhythmic activation of nerve cells, or neurons. Unlike the neurons in the other leg muscles, the researchers demonstrated that the neurons in the leg depressor muscle are activated rhythmically.

12 Feb 2024

The Enigma of Great White Shark Births Unraveled

It is hard to imagine great white sharks as newborns. Great whites are the largest predatory sharks in the world and have the highest death toll from attacks on people. This is partly because it appears, no one has seen one in the wild until recently.

30 Jan 2024

Whirligig Beetles Propel Robotic Boat Design Into the Future

Whirligig beetles, the world's fastest-swimming insect, achieve surprising speeds by employing a strategy shared by speedy marine mammals and waterfowl, according to a new Cornell University study that rewrites previous explanations of the physics involved.

10 Jan 2024

Mycorrhizal Interactions Influences Global Forest Diversity Patterns and Structure

Recent research published in Nature Communications Biology adds to the increasing understanding of the disproportionate impact that microbes have on everything from crop yields to human digestion: Global forest diversity appears to be influenced by microbes in the soil, in this case, fungi.

8 Jan 2024

Midshipman Fish Song Shows Midbrain's Role in Vocal Production

Talkative midshipman fish also referred to as “California singing fish,” rely heavily on the midbrain to initiate and organize the trains of sounds necessary for vocal communication.

4 Jan 2024

Unmasking the Energy Secrets of a Marine Bacterial Giant

Not all bacteria are created equal. Most are single-celled and tiny, a few ten-thousandths of a centimeter long. But bacteria of the Epulopiscium family are large enough to be seen with the naked eye and 1 million times the volume of their better-known cousins, E. coli.

19 Dec 2023

Mucus Thickness Dictates Bacterial Behavior, Affecting Infection Potential

The telltale signs of cold and flu season—sniffles, snorts, and the sound of noses being blown—serve as indicators of increased mucus production.

6 Dec 2023

Study Uncovers New Mechanism for Plant-Microbe Communication

Microorganisms that live on or in plant tissues form what is known as a plant microbiome. This interface plays an important role in plants' survival due to the existence of beneficial microorganisms.

19 Oct 2023

The Distinct Divergence in the Genetic Code

A protist’s genome revealed an apparently unusual divergence in the DNA coding signaling the end of a gene, indicating the need for more research to better comprehend this varied group of creatures.

6 Oct 2023

Mathematical Recipe for Sperm Tail Motion Discovered

Patterns of chemical interactions are thought to create patterns in nature such as stripes and spots. This new study shows that the mathematical basis of these patterns also governs how the sperm tail moves.

27 Sep 2023

Study: Swimming and Tubing Can Alter Stream Chemistry and Microbiology

With Labor Day approaching, many people are preparing to go tubing and swimming at local streams and rivers.

19 Sep 2023

Brain's Choreography of Movement Unveiled in Zebrafish Study

The zebrafish brain, though simpler than its human counterpart, is a complex network of neurons that engage in a ceaseless dance of electrical activity.

11 Sep 2023

Shark Ecotourism may be Disrupting Whale Shark Behavior

Shark ecotourism -; where individuals pay to swim with wild sharks -; may increase the likelihood of whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) exhibiting disturbed behavior patterns resembling the fast, zigzag movements associated with fleeing predators, suggests a paper published in Scientific Reports.

8 Sep 2023