ScienceDaily: Plants & Animals News

In northern Spain, wild honeybees use hollow electricity poles as nesting cavities. Natural areas in the surroundings promote the colonies' chances to survive the winter.

A framework for identifying the most vulnerable marine species will boost global conservation and policy efforts against anthropogenic climate change.

Researchers calculated the optimal search strategy for organisms that employ run-and-tumble motion when looking for a food's odor. They determined that the chemotaxis demonstrated by E. coli closely resembles this system when accounting for the costs of control and the noise of the environment. This work may lead to new methods of designing chemical-seeking drones or nanobots.

Pharmaceutical residues and chemicals from personal care products in sewage sludge and cattle manure do not have a detectable toxic effect on nematodes living in agricultural fields, according to 14-year-long experiments. At the same time, manure and sewage sludge enhance soil quality more than conventional mineral fertilizers and can contribute to more sustainable, circular agriculture.

Eyespots, the circular markings of contrasting colors found on the wings of many butterfly species, are used by these fluttering creatures to intimidate or distract predators. A team of scientists conducted a research study to better understand the evolutionary origins of these eyespots, and they discovered that eyespots appear to have derived from the recruitment of a complex network of genes that was already operating in the body of the butterflies to build antennae, legs, and even wings.

Researchers now report that kale and broccoli microgreens grown in either windowsills or under commercial growing conditions are rich in phytonutrients, though the levels of some compounds varied considerably between the two environments.

Simulations have led to the fabrication of a polymer-DNA gel that could be used in tissue regeneration and robotics.

Researchers have developed a new type of cholera vaccine consisting of polysaccharides displayed on virus-like particles. The vaccine generated long-lasting antibody responses against V. cholerae in mice.

Inspired by the tsetse fly, scientists have developed the first mathematical model to explain how an individual's age and experience affect investment in their offspring.