When viruses invade a plant, you might expect an all-out immune war. But new research published in Science shows that, much like in humans, too strong an immune response can actually do more harm than good.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronaviruses use the ACE2 receptor for viral entry while downregulating its activity, potentially leading to hypertension and major organ injuries.Dual-action technologies based on soluble ACE2 aimed to neutralize the virus while restoring ACE2's normal enzymatic...

Rice is a vital crop that feeds more than half of the world's population. In the wild, many rice species are perennials that live for several years, but the varieties we eat today are typically annuals that must be replanted every season. That is an expensive process for farmers requiring continual labor, seeds and field preparation to keep up with demand. But a cheaper solution may be on the way one day.

A new study from Kiel University shows how the massive exchange of mobile genetic elements between fungi can impair their effectiveness against insects and ticks. Microbial fungi, such as the genus Metarhizium, are often used in biological pest control. These fungi attack harmful insects and ticks, thus representing an ecological alternative to chemical agents. However, how effective these fungi remain is determined by an evolutionary arms race between the fungus and its host.

Nearly three years since the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic was declared over, conservative estimates suggest that between 80 million and 400 million people worldwide have long COVID. This chronic condition associated with the infection is linked to more than 200 symptoms, including fatigue and shortness of breath, as well as neuropsychiatric issues ranging from cognitive dysfunction and sleep disorders to depression and memory loss. These issues impact quality of life and hinder the performance of daily tasks and work.

About 15% of asteroids near Earth have small moons orbiting them, making binary asteroid systems common in our cosmic neighborhood.

HIV treatment has been improved and simplified significantly over the years yet a small fraction of people living with HIV still take complex multi-pill regimens. Spotlight reports on a new combination pill that could make life easier for some in this group.

The findings of a new study by a Charles Sturt University researcher and colleagues challenge a long-standing assumption used by scientists studying ancient disease. The study is published in the International Journal of Osteoarchaeology.

Scientists have proven that a wildflower steeped in folklore for its medicinal powers has genuine healing qualities—and the potential to help combat antibiotic resistance. Tormentil, a yellow wildflower found in heath and boglands in the UK, Ireland and across Europe, can inhibit the growth of one of the world's most deadly pathogens.

Researchers from the Earlham Institute, in collaboration with the Department of Biology at the University of Oxford, have discovered three previously unrecognized lineages of the protist Bodo, each with its own bacterial endosymbiont (a symbiotic organism living within the body of its host).

Researchers from Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) in China have developed a streamlined process that makes it easier to produce tiny therapeutic particles released by cells, called exosomes, which are being explored as a new type of medical treatment. Using a nanoparticle-based system, the researchers were able to overcome a major barrier that has slowed the medical and industrial deployment of these therapies. Their findings were published in the journal Advanced Science.

Every plant cell is the product of a biological merger billions of years ago. Chloroplasts are key structures in plants and algae that capture sunlight, but originally they were free-living bacteria that took up residence inside another cell. Over time, these partners became more closely integrated by sharing genes, proteins, and roles.

Ever since physicist Freeman Dyson first proposed the concept in 1960, the "Dyson sphere" has been the holy grail of techno-signature hunters. A highly advanced civilization could build a "sphere" (or, in our more modern understanding, a "swarm" of smaller components) around their host star to harvest its entire energy output. We know, in theory at least, that such a swarm could exist—but what would it actually look like if we were able to observe one? A new paper, available on the arXiv pre-print server and soon to be published in Universe from Amirnezam Amiri of the University of Arkansas, digs into that question—and in the process discloses the types of stars that are the most likely to find them around.

Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) is one of the most important processes in our cells to ensure that no faulty or incomplete proteins are produced. Scientists have now identified a central mechanism behind this control system.