As the world's climate warms and droughts and water shortages are becoming more common, farmers are struggling to produce enough food. Farmers continue to adapt, but there are ways for you to help, too.

Every cell in the body has the same DNA, but different cell types—such as muscle or brain cells—use different parts of it. Transcription factors help cells activate specific genes by reading certain DNA sequences, but since these sequences are common across the genome, scientists have long wondered how the factors know exactly where to bind.

The discovery of yellow-legged hornet nests in Auckland is frightening.

A research team from the Department of Bioscience, Faculty of Life Sciences, Okayama University of Science, has made a discovery: bitter taste receptors are present inside cancer cells and play a crucial role in pumping anticancer drugs out of the cell—ultimately contributing to the development of multidrug resistance (MDR).

Modern humans inherited part of their ancestry from multiple, genetically distinct Denisovan groups through interbreeding events. However, the history of contact with Denisovans remains unclear.

A "robust, reliable and highly sensitive" tool that quickly and reliably identifies rogue ingredients, even in processed and cooked foods, has been developed by University of Aberdeen scientists. The work is published in the journal Food Chemistry.

Beyond the disruption to Ukraine's food exports, the war is jeopardizing the country's long-term ability to remain the "breadbasket of Europe," because its soils are gradually losing vital crop nutrients.

A recent study from Oregon State University estimated that more than 3,500 animal species are at risk of extinction because of factors including habitat alterations, natural resources being overexploited, and climate change.

Beneath the ocean’s surface, bacteria have evolved specialized enzymes that can digest PET plastic, the material used in bottles and clothes. Researchers at KAUST discovered that a unique molecular signature distinguishes enzymes capable of efficiently breaking down plastic. Found in nearly 80% of ocean samples, these PETase variants show nature’s growing adaptation to human pollution.

A study published in Communications Biology sheds new light on the relationship between bats and dangerous viruses. Led by researchers at the University of Oklahoma, the study shows that, contrary to widespread assumptions, not all bats carry viruses with high epidemic potential, only specific groups of species.

A new study published in Environmental Research Letters reveals that even advanced climate intervention strategies may not be enough to secure the future of wine grapes, coffee and cacao.

A video is circulating on social media in which a leopard enters the backyard of a house where a child is playing, and a cat confronts the leopard and scares it away, protecting the child. The video has garnered over a million "likes" and has been shared more than 15,000 times.

In urban environments, competing hornet species coexist by specializing on different prey species. This finding was made possible by pioneering DNA analysis of hornet larvae's gut contents and shows that cities are fascinating model systems for how predatory species adapt to environmental stress.

Long ago, some saltwater fish adapted to freshwater — and in doing so, developed an extraordinary sense of hearing rivaling our own. By examining a 67-million-year-old fossil, researchers from UC Berkeley discovered that these “otophysan” fish didn’t evolve their sensitive Weberian ear system in rivers, as long thought, but rather began developing it in the ocean before migrating inland. This new timeline suggests two separate invasions of freshwater, explaining why so many freshwater species exist today.

Insect-driven tree mortality is rising across Europe, according to an international study led by the Czech University of Life Sciences with participation of WSL. Conifers are hit harder, broadleaf damage declines and warm, dry regions are most affected. These results, published in Global Change Biology, can help forest management by informing species choice and climate adaptation.

Okayama scientists have crafted a new wine grape, Muscat Shiragai, merging the wild Shiraga and Muscat of Alexandria. The variety is part of a larger collaboration between academia, industry, and local government to boost regional identity through wine. Early tastings revealed a sweet, smooth flavor, and wider cultivation is planned.

Over the past twenty years, coral reef restoration has seen unprecedented growth worldwide. From Indonesia to the Caribbean, thousands of projects have been launched with the goal of "saving" coral reefs—often by planting coral fragments or building artificial reef structures.

Cover crops, plants grown to protect and enrich the soil, are known to boost soil health and help store carbon. However, the exact mechanisms behind these benefits, especially under Nordic climate conditions, have been unclear—until now.