Researchers have demonstrated a technique for successfully encapsulating bacteria that can then be stored and applied to plants to improve plant growth and protect against pests and pathogens. The technique opens the door to creating a wide range of crop applications that allow farmers to make use of these beneficial bacteria in conjunction with agrochemicals.

Scientists have developed a single-cell green microalgae coated with magnetic material. This miniature robot was put to the test: would the microalgae with its magnetic coating be able to swim through narrow spaces and, additionally, in a viscous fluid that mimics those found in the human body? Would the tiny robot be able to fight its way through these difficult conditions?

For the first time, scientists described a hummingbird chick potentially mimicking a poisonous caterpillar to avoid getting eaten.

Trial of strength at the cellular level: Cells are in constant competition with each other and so eliminate diseased or unwanted cells. Cell competition is therefore a central principle for maintaining the health of tissues and organs. Researchers have investigated the success factors of superior cells and discovered a previously unknown winning strategy in mechanical cell competition. They identified a variety in the ability of cells to exert mechanical forces onto other cells as the decisive regulator.

Ancient DNA shows an endangered dove species endemic to Cuba is more genetically distinct than the dodo was before it died out.

Up to 25% of new mothers suffer from postpartum depression, which can significantly impact their parenting behavior and the wellbeing of their children. A new study looks at long-term effects of early maternal depression on children, underscoring the need to provide adequate support for mothers who might be struggling.

It has long been thought that only nerve and heart cells use electric impulses to communicate, while epithelial cells -- which compose the linings of our skin, organs and body cavities -- are mute, serving mostly as protective barriers that can absorb and secrete various substances. But researchers have now upended the status quo by showing that epithelial cells do indeed 'talk' to each other, albeit with slow electrical signals.

New research shows how physical changes in the skull affected the mechanics of the way birds move and use their beaks to eat and explore their habitats -- adaptations that helped them evolve into the extraordinarily diverse winged creatures we see today.

The only iguanas outside the Americas, Fiji iguanas are an enigma. A new genetic analysis shows that they are most closely related to the North American desert iguana, having separated about 34 million years ago, around the same time that the islands emerged from the sea. This suggests that the iguanas rafted 5,000 miles across the Pacific from western North America to reach Fiji -- the longest known transoceanic dispersal of any land animal.

Researchers have discovered that cancer cells suppress 'poison exons' -- genetic elements that act as an off switch for protein production -- in a key gene called TRA2 , promoting tumor growth. By using antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) to restore poison exon activity, the team effectively reactivated this kill switch, offering a potential new precision therapy for aggressive, hard-to-treat cancers.

A study shows that electrical charges in sprays of water can cause chemical reactions that form organic molecules from inorganic materials. The findings provide evidence that microlightning may have helped create the building blocks necessary for early life on the planet.

New research quantifies the health risks of wildland-urban interface fires, showing fire emissions in populated areas are three times more likely to lead to annual premature deaths than emissions from wildfires in general.

Nearly one-third of sharks are threatened with extinction, mostly due to fishing. While mandated releases are helpful, researchers discovered that they aren't enough to stabilize shark populations.

Hydrology experts are calling for urgent investigations into the operation of bore-fields that access fresh groundwater on Pacific islands, including Kiribati, where rising sea levels are already putting local water supplies at risk.

With artificial photosynthesis, humankind could utilize solar energy to bind carbon dioxide and produce hydrogen. Chemists have taken this one step further: They have synthesized a stack of dyes that comes very close to the photosynthetic apparatus of plants. It absorbs light energy, uses it to separate charge carriers and transfers them quickly and efficiently in the stack.

Older adults who were exposed to seasonal flu viruses that circulated prior to 1968 are more likely to have some protection against H5N1, and children would benefit more from H5N1 vaccines.

When major storms hit Houston last spring and summer, losing power was a nightmare for residents, but for many, the financial fallout was just as devastating. A new report finds that more than half of Houston-area workers lost income due to these storms, either because they couldn't get to work or their jobs were forced to close.

Study findings provide a new gene pathway for potential treatment of the virus affecting millions.

Misha lived her whole life in zoos, but this elephant's teeth are now helping scientists reconstruct wildlife migrations. Geologists show how strontium isotopes found in teeth or tusks reveal where large plant-eating animals may have roamed.

A new study shows how the lungs respond to poor diet.