EurekAlert! News by Subject: Biology - News by Subject: Biology

Biology

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 20-Dec-2025 16:11 ET (20-Dec-2025 21:11 GMT/UTC)

29-Sep-2025

Tiny but mighty: Groundbreaking study reveals mosses are secret carbon heroes in subtropical forests

Biochar Editorial Office, Shenyang Agricultural University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

In a lush revelation from the forest floor, a new study published in Carbon Research (as an Open Access Rapid Communication) shows that mosses, those quiet, green carpet-weavers beneath our feet—are climate champions in their own right. Led by Dr. Zhe Wang from the China-Croatia “Belt and Road” Joint Laboratory on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Shanghai Normal University, alongside Dr. Weikai Bao, also of the Chengdu Institute of Biology, this research flips the script on how we view forest carbon storage. Spoiler: mosses matter—big time.

Journal: Carbon Research

29-Sep-2025

Radiation therapy shows promise for patients with severe heart rhythm disorder

American Society for Radiation Oncology
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Radiation therapy may offer a comparable and potentially safer alternative to repeat catheter ablation for patients with severe abnormal heart rhythms that can no longer be controlled with medication. In the first study to directly compare cardiac radiation with standard catheter ablation for ventricular tachycardia, patients treated with cardiac radiation experienced fewer complications with similar effectiveness at controlling disease. Findings will be presented today at the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Annual Meeting and published in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology • Biology • Physics (Red Journal).

Meeting: American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) 2025Annual Meeting

29-Sep-2025

Actin scaffold in cell nucleus explains survival of cancer cells

University of Freiburg
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers of the University of Freiburg Cluster of Excellence CIBSS demonstrate that an actin scaffold stabilizes the cell nucleus upon mechanical stress.

This protective mechanism helps cancer cells to avoid dying during their migration in the body.

In the long term, targeted interventions in this mechanism could help to prevent metastases.

29-Sep-2025

Scientists map the navigation styles of wild cats and dogs

University of Maryland
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A University of Maryland-led study that followed over 1,200 animals across six continents challenges longstanding assumptions about animal movement and has implications for conservation and management of at-risk mammalian carnivores globally.

Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

29-Sep-2025

New tool identifies proteins that control gene activity

Weill Cornell Medicine
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new tool greatly improves scientists’ ability to identify and study proteins that regulate gene activity in cells, according to research led by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators. The technology should enable and enhance investigations in both fundamental biology and disease research.

Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

29-Sep-2025

The first animals on Earth may have been sea sponges, study suggests

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Some of the first animals on Earth were likely ancestors of the modern sea sponge, according to MIT geochemists who unearthed new evidence in very old rocks.

Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

29-Sep-2025

By studying yellow warbler, researchers hope to better understand response to rapid climate change in wild species

Colorado State University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Climate change is drying landscapes and raising temperatures faster than many species can adapt. A new research paper offers a rare empirical look at how these pressures are already reshaping wildlife through the lens of the yellow warbler –– a common migratory bird.

Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences