What's up in
Biology
Latest Articles
What’s the Future of Gene Editing?
In the first episode of the new season of ‘The Joy of Why,’ Nobel Laureate Jennifer Doudna discusses how she discovered CRISPR’s genome-editing power, the breakthroughs and hurdles during its explosive growth, and what lies ahead for this groundbreaking technology.
An Early Step on the Long, Strange Road to Photosynthesis
An ancient lineage of cyanobacteria is helping biologists uncover an early evolutionary stage of the mind-boggling process that turns light into life.
Are Memories Transferable — or Edible?
In the 1960s, worm-training experiments and their strange implications captivated the nation. Columnist Claire L. Evans follows the neuroscientists who attempted to recapture the magic.
The Dirt That Refused To Die
Lifelike biochemistry continued to unfold in sterilized soil for six years, pointing to a metabolic theory for how biology began.
How Ecotypes Harbor the Genetic Memory of a Species’ Past
Evolutionary biologists are uncovering genomic mechanisms that allow populations to adapt quickly to different, hyperlocal habitats without splitting into new species.
How the Bird Eye Was Pushed to an Evolutionary Extreme
The bird retina is one of the most energetically expensive tissues in the animal kingdom, yet it doesn’t use the energy advantage of oxygen. New research finally explains how this is possible.
The Hidden Mathematical Dance Inside Plant Cells
The sunlight-collecting organelles known as chloroplasts solve a packing problem: how to optimize photosynthesis without sustaining damage from dangerously intense rays.
A Treasure Trove of Cambrian Fossils Rewrites the Story of Early Life
Remarkably preserved fossils found in southern China offer a fascinating window into what life looked like at the end of the Cambrian explosion, with half of the species uncovered being new to science.
A New Type of Neuroplasticity Rewires the Brain After a Single Experience
“Neurons that fire together, wire together” is not the full story. A novel mechanism explains how the brain can learn across longer timescales.