This tiny organism contracts 200 times faster than we can blink—here's how
Spirostomum ambiguum, a single-celled organism, contracts to one-quarter of its body length in less than 5 milliseconds using a calcium-activated protein network in a fishnet-like configuration. This contraction speed far exceeds human muscle capabilities and may inform development of faster artificial muscles and synthetic cellular machinery.
Read full story →Mosquitoes are rapidly activating enzymes against common insecticide, researchers warn
Mosquitoes are developing enzyme activity that provides resistance to commonly used insecticides through biochemical and genetic changes. Public health programs have historically depended on these chemicals for mosquito management, making control increasingly difficult as populations gain survival advantages.
The cost of memory: How organisms balance thinking and sensing
Organisms must balance memory usage against its energy costs when making decisions. A study examined how much biological resources animals and cells expend to store and retrieve information for survival tasks like foraging.
First Arctic Ocean 2050 expedition on its way to the North Pole
A research vessel with 30 scientists and 20 crew members departed from Longyearbyen on July 23 to study the Arctic Ocean over 50 days as part of the Polhavet 2050 program. The expedition aims to reach the North Pole while conducting research during this Arctic voyage.