The orchid and the fruit fly – Scientists discover unique new relationship between plant and animal

The mutualistic relationship between Gastrodia foetida and its pollinators, both of which feed mainly on fungi. The flowers give off a mushroom-like smell that attracts the flies. When the flies feed on the flowers, pollen grains attach to their spines (1). When the fly leaves one flower and visits another to lay eggs, the attached […]

How scientists engineered a transparent octopus with its brain in plain sight

Becoming invisible usually requires magic. For some inch-sized squid, all it takes is a little genetic tweaking. When these squid are genetically altered, “they’re really hard to spot,” even for their keepers, says Joshua Rosenthala senior scientist at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Mass. “We know we’re putting it in this aquarium, but […]

New research sheds light on the formation of one of nature’s most fundamental molecules

New high-resolution images have provided insights into how the large subunit of human ribosomes is assembled, furthering our understanding of these vital cellular machines. The findings, which used cryo-electron microscopy and other techniques, may have implications for studies in cellular metabolism and diseases linked to ribosome mutations. Life runs on ribosomes. Every cell throughout the […]