Evolution News and Research

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AI-driven surveillance system to combat emerging infectious diseases

Researchers have come up with a new way to identify more infectious variants of viruses or bacteria that start spreading in humans - including those causing flu, COVID, whooping cough and tuberculosis.

2 Jan 2025

Unraveling retrotransposon mechanisms in centromere insertion

A joint research group team led by Sayuri Tsukahara and Tetsuji Kakutani of the University of Tokyo has clarified a mechanism of how retrotransposons, genetic elements that can "jump around" chromosomes and are known drivers of evolution, preferentially insert in the centromere.

1 Jan 2025

Scientists pinpoint regions and species fueling coronavirus evolution in bats

Study uncovers the evolution, transmission, and geographic spread of bat coronaviruses in China, revealing key insights into hotspots and the origins of SARS-CoV-2.

1 Jan 2025

Fruit flies steal bacterial defense to survive parasitic wasps

In the continual arms race between parasites and their hosts, innovation was thought to be the key to a successful attack or defense that one-ups the competition.

24 Dec 2024

WHO TAG-CO-VAC reviews COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness and antigen composition

The WHO Technical Advisory Group on COVID-19 Vaccine Composition (TAG-CO-VAC) continues to closely monitor the genetic and antigenic evolution of SARS-CoV-2 variants, immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 vaccination, and the performance of COVID-19 vaccines against circulating variants.

24 Dec 2024

Groundbreaking brain atlas sheds light on neural pathways for movement

Signals relayed to motor neurons from the brain enable muscle movement, but these signals typically pass through spinal interneurons before they reach their destination.

23 Dec 2024

Eyelashes as natural liquid deflectors for clear vision

Throughout human evolution, body and facial hair have notably diminished, yet eyelashes have remained a distinguishing feature.

20 Dec 2024

Host heterogeneity increases pathogen virulence in metapopulations

Heterogeneity is ubiquitous in real-world host populations, yet most theories assume homogeneity. Using a metapopulation model, we examine how host heterogeneities, such as uneven movement patterns and local productivities, affect the evolution of pathogen virulence.

20 Dec 2024

Brain's dual role in processing touch and hearing revealed

Ludwig van Beethoven began to lose his hearing at age 28 and was deaf by age 44. While the cause of his hearing loss remains a topic of scientific debate and ongoing revision, one thing is clear: Despite his hearing loss, Beethoven never ceased to compose music, likely because he was able to sense the vibrations of musical instruments and "hear" music through the sense of touch, researchers believe.

19 Dec 2024

Study shows how peptides from nature could combat melanoma drug resistance

Antimicrobial peptides derived from a crab and a spider may provide the pathway to overcoming drug resistance in advanced melanoma.

19 Dec 2024

Scientists detect rare H5N1 avian flu strain in Australian child after travel to India

A 2.5-year-old returning to Australia from India was infected with a reassortant H5N1 virus, revealing genetic mixing between avian influenza clades and gaps in South Asian surveillance.

18 Dec 2024

Neanderthal legacy: The surprising genetics behind human tooth size

A recent study identifies key genetic factors—PITX2 expression and Neanderthal-introgressed HS3ST3A1—that contribute to variations in tooth size among modern human populations, especially highlighting differences across ancestries.

17 Dec 2024

University Hospitals first in Northeast Ohio to use Da Vinci 5 for robotic-assisted surgeries

University Hospitals is the first health system in Northeast Ohio utilizing the Da Vinci 5 for robotic-assisted surgeries.

16 Dec 2024

The risks of reversed chirality: Study highlights dangers of mirror organisms

The study on mirror bacteria highlights risks of immune evasion and ecological threats, calling for collaboration to ensure safe synthetic biology practices.

16 Dec 2024

New discovery reveals twisting action of molecular motors in the DNA

Scientists from the Kavli Institute of Delft University of Technology and the IMP Vienna Biocenter discovered a new property of the molecular motors that shape our chromosomes.

16 Dec 2024

Soil ecosystems fuel antibiotic resistance development

Soil plays a much bigger role in the spread of antibiotic resistance than one might imagine.

13 Dec 2024

A genetic variant modulates interferon signaling and disease risk

For years, scientists have looked to a critical piece of immune system machinery - known as the interferon pathway - for answers. There, when our cells sense an infection, they release a protein known as interferon, which warns other cells to fight the virus.

13 Dec 2024