A new study presents what is believed to be the oldest known example in the fossil record of an evolutionary arms race. These 517-million-year-old predator-prey interactions occurred in the ocean covering what is now South Australia between a small, shelled animal distantly related to brachiopods and an unknown marine animal...
Officials assess threat of H5N1 avian flu
Highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza A virus (HPAI H5N1) remains a low risk to the general public, and public health experts in the United States believe that available treatments and vaccines, as well as those in development, are sufficient to prevent severe disease.
Psychedelic drug therapy may address mental health concerns in people with cancer and addiction
One or two doses of psilocybin, a compound found in psychedelic mushrooms, may improve the mental health of cancer patients when accompanied by psychotherapy, a new study suggests. A second new study found that treatment with psilocybin resulted in lasting, positive personality changes in patients with alcohol use disorder.
Zebrafish protein unlocks dormant genes for heart repair
Researchers have successfully repaired damaged mouse hearts using a protein from zebrafish. They discovered that the protein Hmga1 plays a key role in heart regeneration in zebrafish. In mice, this protein was able to restore the heart by activating dormant repair genes without causing side effects, such as heart enlargement....
New method turns e-waste to gold
A research team has developed a method for extracting gold from electronics waste, then using the recovered precious metal as a catalyst for converting carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas, to organic materials.
Dogs trained to sniff out spotted lanternflies could help reduce spread
Growers and conservationists have a new weapon to detect invasive spotted lanternflies early and limit their spread: dogs trained to sniff out egg masses that overwinter in vineyards and forests.
Increased wildfire activity may be a feature of past periods of abrupt climate change
A new study investigating ancient methane trapped in Antarctic ice suggests that global increases in wildfire activity likely occurred during periods of abrupt climate change throughout the last Ice Age.
Ancient DNA unlocks new understanding of migrations in the first millennium AD
Waves of human migration across Europe during the first millennium AD have been revealed using a more precise method of analysing ancestry with ancient DNA, in research led by the Francis Crick Institute.
Key players in brain aging: New research identifies age-related damage on a cellular level
Scientists have identified the molecular changes that occur in the brains of aging mice and located a hot spot where much of that damage is centralized. The cells in the area are also connected with metabolism, suggesting a connection between diet and brain health.
System to auto-detect new variants will inform better response to future infectious disease outbreaks
Researchers have come up with a new way to identify more infectious variants of viruses or bacteria that start spreading in humans -- including those causing flu, COVID, whooping cough and tuberculosis.