Life’s building blocks may have formed in interstellar clouds
An experiment shows that one of the basic units of life -- nucleobases -- could have originated within giant gas clouds interspersed between the...
We are all mutants, more or less
Everyone is a mutant but some are prone to diverge more than others, report scientists at University of Utah Health. At birth, children typically have...
How we discovered that an asteroid collision in space 466m years ago boosted life...
Something mysterious happened nearly half a billion years ago that triggered one of the most important changes in the history of life on Earth. Suddenly,...
Extinct human species gave modern humans an immunity boost
Modern humans acquired a gene variant from Denisovans that heightened their immune reactions, indicating adaptation of the immune system to a changing environment, says...
Rare 10 million-year-old fossil unearths new view of human evolution
Human ancestors might not have been built like modern African apes, a new study suggests. Near an old mining town in Central Europe, known for...
Human-animal hybrids are coming and could be used to grow organs for transplant
Around the world thousands of people are on organ donor waiting lists. While some of those people will receive the organ transplants they need in...
The Swiss Army Knife of gene editing gets new control
When researchers want to edit, activate, or silence a gene in any living organism, from bacteria to humans, they often turn to CRISPR/Cas9, a...
Large study shows there is no “gay gene”
In a new study, researchers found that there is no single “gay gene” that could determine one’s sexual orientation. They found a person's attraction to...
How plants know the difference between night and day
Plants are extremely sensitive to lengths of nights and days. They use the information to keep track of seasons, information crucial to their life cycles. Yale...
Crocodile smiles hold the secret to regrowing teeth
Unlike people, crocodiles do not clean their teeth to slow down wear and tear. Instead, they get rid of them and replace them with new...