A research group at Umeå University has managed to capture and describe a protein structure that, until now, has been impossible to study. The discovery lays the base for developing designed enzymes as catalysts to new chemical reactions for instance in biotechnological applications. The result of the study is published in the journal Nature Communications.

The first comprehensive analysis of the woolly mammoth genome reveals extensive genetic changes that allowed mammoths to adapt to life in the arctic. Mammoth genes that differed from their counterparts in elephants played roles in skin and hair development, fat metabolism, insulin signaling and numerous other traits. Genes linked to physical traits such as skull shape, small ears and short tails were also identified. As a test of function, a mammoth gene involved in temperature sensation was resurrected in the laboratory and its protein product characterized. 

Spiny lobsters practice “behavioral immunity” to create safe havens that prevent them from contracting a lethal disease in the wild, an important finding for the $50 million annual spiny lobster fishery in Florida, according to a new study co-authored by a University of Florida scientist.

Weizmann Institute scientists develop an “olfactory fingerprint” test that may do more than just identify individuals.

A new study of fireflies suggests a new model of how these beetles light up.

In a new Research Frontiers video, University of Arkansas biologist J.D. Willson and his graduate students search for reptiles and amphibians at Woolsey Wet Prairie Sanctuary on the outskirts of Fayetteville. Willson’s research group has found rare species in the restored prairie wetland, such as the Graham’s crayfish snake and the crawfish frog.

Researchers have developed a new informatics technology that analyzes existing data repositories of protein modifications and 3D protein structures to help scientists identify and target research on “hotspots” most likely to be important for biological function.

Rodents of unusual size 17 times more likely on islands than elsewhere

Particulate matter linked to short and long-term health effects

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory this week released a study that shows gasoline and diesel refined from Canadian oil sands have a higher carbon impact than fuels derived from conventional domestic crude sources.

Employees seeking to boost their productivity at work should take a nap—yes, sleeping on the job can be a good thing

Moose saliva may, in fact, "detoxify" the grass before it is eaten