Women with autoimmune disease are more likely to suffer from depression during pregnancy and after childbirth; conversely, women with a history of perinatal depression are at higher risk of developing autoimmune disease, a new study reports. ​Women with autoimmune disease are more likely to suffer from depression during pregnancy and after childbirth; conversely, women with …

Clear link between autoimmune disease and perinatal depression Read More »

Butterfly populations in Catalonia in northern Spain are better than their UK counterparts at regulating their body temperature by basking in the sunshine, but rising global temperatures due to climate change may put Spanish butterflies at greater risk of extinction. ​Butterfly populations in Catalonia in northern Spain are better than their UK counterparts at regulating …

Spanish butterflies better at regulating their body temperature than their British cousins Read More »

An experimental study has shown that a type of skin bacterium can efficiently be engineered to produce a protein to regulate sebum production. This application could treat acne without compromising the homeostasis of the entire skin microbiome. ​An experimental study has shown that a type of skin bacterium can efficiently be engineered to produce a …

Smart skin bacteria are able to secrete and produce molecules to treat acne Read More »

Fire ants link together to form rafts when their nests are flooded, and unlike most materials the rafts don’t become thinner when they are stretched ​Fire ants link together to form rafts when their nests are flooded, and unlike most materials the rafts don’t become thinner when they are stretched Fire ants link together to form …

Fire ants form rafts that have weird properties when stretched Read More »

Using artificial intelligence, researchers discovered a class of compounds that can kill methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a drug-resistant bacterium that causes more than 10,000 deaths in the U.S. each year. ​Using artificial intelligence, researchers discovered a class of compounds that can kill methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a drug-resistant bacterium that causes more than 10,000 deaths …

Using AI, researchers identify a new class of antibiotic candidates Read More »

Insect decline is being driven by losses among the locally more common species, according to a new study. The meta-analysis of 923 locations around the world notes two significant trends: 1) the species with the most individuals (the highest abundance) are disproportionately decreasing in number, and 2) no other species have increased to the high …

Common insect species are suffering the biggest losses Read More »

Conventional wisdom suggests that searching online to evaluate the veracity of misinformation would reduce belief in it. But a new study by a team of researchers shows the opposite occurs: Searching to evaluate the truthfulness of false news articles actually increases the probability of believing misinformation. ​Conventional wisdom suggests that searching online to evaluate the …

Evaluating the truthfulness of fake news through online searches increases the chances of believing misinformation Read More »

A moray eel, a robber fly and an ice-topped slime mould appear in winning images from the Close-Up Photographer of the Year competition ​A moray eel, a robber fly and an ice-topped slime mould appear in winning images from the Close-Up Photographer of the Year competition A moray eel, a robber fly and an ice-topped slime …

6 exquisite images from Close-up Photographer of the Year Read More »