A DNA virus that infects marine algae carries a working gene for a tandem potassium channel, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The finding points to giant viruses as active players in the structural evolution of cellular proteins.
Letizia Giugliano
A scientific innovation in cognitive biology shows that Japanese macaques become significantly more cautious around potentially contaminated food after surviving a deadly disease epidemic. Researchers from the University of California San Diego discovered that this behavioral shift occurred across exposed groups regardless of whether individual monkeys had contracted the virus. Published in Royal Society Open Science, the study provides rare empirical evidence into the evolutionary origins of animal disgust and disease avoidance.
Giovanni Sapere
Researchers from the University of Nottingham and Tohoku University have identified the specific genetic mechanism determining whether snail shells coil to the left or to the right. The biological discovery links structural variations in the motor protein myosin to early embryonic cell twisting in wild Japanese snails. Published in October 2026, the findings explain how organisms establish fundamental left-right asymmetry without congenital developmental defects.
Letizia Giugliano
NASA prepares for Venus exploration by adopting a new type of battery that can withstand the tremendous conditions of Venusian soil.
Giovanni Sapere
Colossal Biosciences plans to bring back to life the long-extinct Mammoth, Dodo and Tilacino. Reality or science fiction?
Giovanni Sapere
A team of the EBRI is studying A13 antibody, a molecule that promotes the birth of neurons and could be used against Alzheimer’s disease.
Giovanni Sapere
