In 1855, scientists discovered a fungus that turns flies into zombie hosts. More than 160 years later, its spores still show how a parasite can control behavior in fliesA parasitic fungus, Entomophthora muscae, infects flies and manipulates their behavior. This fungus drives infected insects to high points ...
07 Sep, 2026, 10.51 PM IST
Life on Earth has always used four DNA letters, but scientists have created a bigger genetic alphabet and found something unexpectedScientists have demonstrated RNA polymerase can read eight genetic letters. This enzyme accurately transcribes synthetic DNA, which nature ...
05 Sep, 2026, 09.35 PM IST
Something strange may be happening high above the surface of Venus: New study finds a surprising clue about whether life could survive in its acidic cloudsNew research suggests peptides can survive Venus's acidic clouds. These molecules maintain stable structures in highly concentrated sulfuri...
05 Sep, 2026, 07.08 PM IST
Science says ancient soil can reveal about extinct animals that left no bones, the hidden DNA record beneath our feetThe discovery of DNA preserved in ancient sediments is expanding our understanding of what can constitute a fossil record. Bones provide ph...
03 Sep, 2026, 05.28 PM IST
Quote of the day by Charles Darwin: 'A man’s friendships are one of the best measures of his...' - What this powerful insight reveals about character, trust and the kind of people we choose to surround ourselves with, and why our closest relationships may say more about us than we realizeCharles Darwin profoundly changed humanity's understanding of life on Earth. His voyage on the HMS Beagle provided crucial observations for...
03 Sep, 2026, 02.22 PM IST
In 2000, University Of Illinois researchers searched 1,000 trillion DNA molecules for lead-sensitive DNA. 9 years later, their lab reported DNA sensors with sensitivity as low as 11 parts per trillion for toxic metals in drinking waterLead detection may soon look very different from a trip to the laboratory. Researchers at the University of Illinois developed a DNA lead s...
27 Aug, 2026, 08.33 PM IST
17-year-old Pennsylvania student develops promising pancreatic cancer test that correctly detects 87% of cases and rules out disease in 87.5% of peopleA 17-year-old student from Pennsylvania has developed a promising blood-based method for detecting pancreatic cancer by using magnetic nano...
23 Aug, 2026, 04.55 PM IST
In 1984, Texas A&M researchers developed Rio Red grapefruit using radiation-induced mutations. 42 years later, it accounts for around 75% of all grapefruits produced in Texas, becoming the state’s dominant varietyTexas's popular Rio Red grapefruit originated from radiation-induced mutations in 1984. This variety, developed at Texas A&M University, of...
19 Aug, 2026, 08.06 PM IST
In 2014, scientists compared EPAS1 DNA from 40 Tibetans and 40 Han Chinese and linked a high-altitude adaptation to Denisovan-like ancestry. 12 years later, the finding traced the genetic gift to an interbreeding event about 48,700 years agoIn 2014, scientists found a remarkable clue in Tibetan DNA. They compared the EPAS1 gene in 40 Tibetans and 40 Han Chinese and uncovered a ...
13 Aug, 2026, 07.40 PM IST
Earlier this year, researchers analyzed ancient Chilean mummies for traces of smallpox DNA. The evidence produced the first direct molecular proof that European colonists brought the deadly virus to the AmericasSmallpox DNA discovery: Ancient DNA from Chilean mummies offers direct evidence of European smallpox introduction. This discovery supports ...
11 Aug, 2026, 09.45 PM IST
In 2017, two parents asked scientist Stanley Crooke to create treatments for their children's rare mutations. Years later, a custom drug cut one boy's seizures by 90% and helped him walk on his own for the first timeMedicine is undergoing a profound transformation by shifting focus from populations to individual patients. A novel custom drug for rare ge...
10 Aug, 2026, 08.25 PM IST
ICAR genome breakthrough opens door to improved pigeonpea varietiesThe newly developed T2T genome sequence contains 752.65 million base pairs of DNA assembled into 92 contigs, providing a complete represent...
04 Aug, 2026, 06.26 PM IST
Snakes once had legs: Here's how they lost them 100 million years agoHow snakes lost their legs: A buried skull in Patagonia, a broken genetic switch, and the ghost legs still hiding inside pythons, scientist...
30 Jul, 2026, 04.59 PM IST
The heaviest living thing on Earth isn't a whale or a sequoia; it's Pando, a single Utah aspen spread across 106 acres as 47,000 identical trees sharing one giant root systemPando, a Utah aspen clone, is a single organism connected by one root system. This giant clone weighs significantly more than the largest b...
17 Jul, 2026, 05.55 PM IST
Mandrake Bio raises Rs 16 crore to build AI-powered gene-editing platform for agriculture, medicineBengaluru startup Mandrake Bio secured sixteen crore rupees in new funding. This capital will expand their AI and biophysics teams for plat...
16 Jul, 2026, 12.13 PM IST
Space jam: 'Raspberry sugar' discovered near the centre of the Milky Way; what scientists say about life's building blocks forming before planets existedA sugar molecule found in raspberries has been detected near the Milky Way's center. This marks the first time the molecule has been identi...
14 Jul, 2026, 01.46 PM IST
In 1953, scientists pieced together a twisted molecule, and DNA finally had a shapeScientists uncovered DNA's double helix structure in 1953. James Watson and Francis Crick proposed the model. It explained how genetic info...
16 Jun, 2026, 06.12 PM IST