Life

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  1. Life

    Air pollution monitoring may accidentally help scientists track biodiversity

    Filters in air monitoring facilities inadvertently capture environmental DNA, which could give scientists a new tool to track local plants and animals.

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  2. Life

    Coral reefs host millions of bacteria, revealing Earth’s hidden biodiversity

    A new estimate of microbial life living in Pacific reefs is similar to global counts, suggesting many more microbes call Earth home than thought.

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  3. Animals

    These ants build tall nest hills to help show the way home

    Desert ants living in the harsh, flat salt pans of Tunisia create towering anthills to aid with navigating the near-featureless terrain.

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  4. Animals

    How a new Lyme vaccine for mice may protect people

    A vaccine, distributed as pellets, can neutralize Lyme-causing bacteria in wildlife. Scientists hope it will reduce Lyme exposure for people and pets.

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  5. Plants

    A hunt for fungi might bring this orchid back from the brink

    Identifying the fungi that feeds the Cooper’s black orchid in the lab may allow researchers to bank seeds and possibly regrow the species in the wild.

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  6. Plants

    Soil microbes that survived tough climates can help young trees do the same

    Trees grown in soil with microbes that have survived drought and high or low temperatures have a better shot at survival when facing the same conditions.

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  7. Life

    5,000 deep-sea animals new to science turned up in ocean records

    Scientists compiled a list of animals unknown to science that live in a deep-sea Pacific Ocean ecosystem targeted for mining exploration.

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  8. Neuroscience

    A brain implant helped a man with paralysis walk more naturally

    A successful test of a system that restores communication between the brain and spine could ultimately help many people with paralysis.

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  9. Life

    Spiny mice have armadillo-like armor in their tails

    CT scans revealed the bony plates in the rodents’ tails. The hidden armor may protect against attacking predators or other spiny mice.

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  10. Neuroscience

    Brain implants have revealed a signature for chronic pain

    Brain implants in four people with chronic pain gave researchers an inside look at the debilitating condition.

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  11. Life

    Microwaving an insecticide restores its mosquito-killing power

    Heated deltamethrin kills mosquitoes resistant to its usual form. Scientists are working to add the improved insecticide into bed nets.

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  12. Animals

    Octopuses and squid are masters of RNA editing while leaving DNA intact

    Modifications to RNA could explain the intelligence and flexibility of shell-less cephalopods.

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