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A woman eating a piece of multigrain bread.
How did Humans Adapt to Digest Starchy Foods?
Researchers uncover the surprisingly complex evolutionary history of the salivary protein amylase.
How did Humans Adapt to Digest Starchy Foods?
How did Humans Adapt to Digest Starchy Foods?

Researchers uncover the surprisingly complex evolutionary history of the salivary protein amylase.

Researchers uncover the surprisingly complex evolutionary history of the salivary protein amylase.

News

Image of concentric circles cut into a grass lawn.
Bacteria’s Stress Strategy: Slow Down to Avoid the Crowd
Laura Tran, PhD | Dec 2, 2024 | 4 min read
Computer simulations highlight how bacteria slow their growth to avoid overcrowding, a behavior that may inform pathogen control. 
A young child holding her bruised knee.
A Beneficial Bacterium Helps Wounds Heal
Sneha Khedkar | Dec 2, 2024 | 5 min read
A bacterium found in the wound microbiome can accelerate healing, highlighting the potential for microbiota-based wound therapies.
A bowl filled with various nuts, beans, seeds, avocado, oats, cheeses, and meat, is arranged by color to form a yin-yang symbol. The background is filled with cartoon images of cells.
A Keto Diet Could Enhance Cancer Drug Effectiveness
Paige Nicklas | Nov 29, 2024 | 4 min read
In mice, a ketogenic diet remodeled the translatome of pancreatic cancer cells, rendering them vulnerable to targeted therapy.
An illustration showing a DNA strand and a cancer cell. 
How Some Cancer Cells Survive Chemotherapy
Sahana Sitaraman, PhD | Nov 26, 2024 | 4 min read
Chemotherapy drugs can kill cancer cells by halting DNA replication, but a glucose-depleted environment can help cancer cells overcome this effect and resist death. 
Image of a showerhead with running water. There is a soap dispenser and toothbrush on a wire shelf in the shower.
A Viral Investigation of Bathroom Biomes
Laura Tran, PhD | Nov 26, 2024 | 4 min read
Hidden on toothbrushes and showerheads, bacteriophages reveal a viral ecosystem and its potential to create healthier living spaces.
An orange Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacterium with white flagella on a blue background.
Pseudomonas Bacteria Escape Immunity by Disrupting Energy Production in Macrophages
Kamal Nahas, PhD | Nov 25, 2024 | 4 min read
Pseudomonas infections are tough to treat, but a new study reveals a chemical they use to subdue macrophages, suggesting new therapeutic avenues.
A photograph of a man sleeping on a couch next to a plate with a poultry leg on it.
Why Does Thanksgiving Dinner Make Some People Sleepy?
Shelby Bradford, PhD | Nov 25, 2024 | 4 min read
Urban myths cry turkey, but the science behind why Thanksgiving feasts induce sleep suggests otherwise.
A pink and yellow protein held together by a gray circle pull a piece of blue DNA into a loop.
Combining Bacterial Systems Offers a New Approach to Gene Regulation
Shelby Bradford, PhD | Nov 22, 2024 | 4 min read
Researchers turned programmable proteins into a novel genetic tool, potentially enabling tighter control of gene expression.
A small furry shrew pokes its head out from a pile of vegetation.
Gene Expression Shifts as Shrews Shrink and Regrow Their Brains
Hannah Thomasy, PhD | Nov 20, 2024 | 5 min read
Transcriptomic studies of the shrew’s remarkably plastic brain could provide new insights into neurodegenerative diseases.
An illustration showing reduction in muscle mass and weight from cachexia.
The Neural Circuitry Driving Cancer-Related Wasting Disease
Sahana Sitaraman, PhD | Nov 18, 2024 | 4 min read
In mice, dampening the activity of area postrema neurons diminished cancer-induced muscle and fat loss and increased lifespan.
Nathalie Fuentes, a senior scientist at AstraZeneca, is shown completing two of her roles: on the left, she prepares regulatory paperwork for a new drug, while on the right, she documents information from stability testing a new drug.
The Secrets of Securing a Senior Scientist Role in an Industry
Shelby Bradford, PhD | Nov 15, 2024 | 5 min read
Nathalie Fuentes shared her experience of landing a unicorn position in a pharmaceutical company after a postdoctoral fellowship.
A herd of elephants is walking in a river in a forest.
Elephant Deaths Trigger a Kodo-Millet Fungus Investigation in India
Sneha Khedkar | Nov 14, 2024 | 4 min read
When multiple elephants were found dead in a national park in India, microbiologists turned to investigate their prime suspect: fungi. 
Image of a cone snail, Conus geographus underwater.
A Sea Snail Toxin Could Inspire New Diabetes Drugs
Laura Tran, PhD | Nov 14, 2024 | 5 min read
Sea snails stun their prey with toxins that mimic glucose-regulating hormones.
Chickens on a farm.
A Wastewater Surveillance Program Sounds the Alarm on Avian Influenza
Deanna MacNeil, PhD | Nov 14, 2024 | 6 min read
Born from the COVID-19 pandemic, a viral-agnostic approach blends sequencing research and public health to get ahead of bird flu transmission.
A DNA illustration composed of diverse human figures.
AI-Assisted Genome Studies Are Riddled with Errors
Sahana Sitaraman, PhD | Nov 13, 2024 | 3 min read
Researchers used artificial intelligence in large genomics studies to fill in gaps in patient information and improve predictions, but new research uncovers false positives and misleading correlations.
Multiple green and blue protein structures on a black background
How Stem Cells Stay Young
Rohini Subrahmanyam, PhD | Nov 13, 2024 | 4 min read
Bone marrow stem cells defy typical aging, and it may be because they express the right proteins.
A doctor holds a model of the female reproductive system.
Modeling the Human Cervix on a USB-Sized Chip
Sneha Khedkar | Nov 13, 2024 | 4 min read
Microfluidic chips that mimic the complex human cervical environment provide a platform to study the reproductive tract and associated infections like bacterial vaginosis.
3D illustration of white Candida albicans yeast cells growing against host tissue.
A Fungal Messenger Impairs Immune Cell Function
Shelby Bradford, PhD | Nov 8, 2024 | 3 min read
Farnesol, a fungal signaling molecule, alters lipid synthesis in dendritic cells, causing mitochondrial dysfunction and decreased inflammatory responding.
A golden retriever shakes off water on a sunny lawn.
What Drives the "Wet Dog Shakes" Reflex in Furry Animals?
Hannah Thomasy, PhD | Nov 7, 2024 | 3 min read
Scientists identified the mechanoreceptor that triggers the distinctive shake-off behavior observed in mice when they become wet.
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