Many physiological processes and behaviours follow an approximate 24h pattern called a circadian rhythm, which are primarily entrained by the daily cycle of light and dark. Robust circadian rhythms are important for health, including our mood, metabolism and immune system. Read More …

Apathy is a psychiatric symptom that is characterised by a loss of motivation and emotional blunting. It is common in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, but also occurs in otherwise healthy ageing. Despite having a profound Read More …

New research shows that larger bumblebees are more likely to go out foraging in the low light of dawn. University of Exeter scientists used RFID – similar technology to contactless card payments – to monitor when bumblebees of different sizes Read More …

Stomata are microscopic pores found mainly on the leaves of plants that are key to plant survival. They open and close in response to a myriad of environmental signals and allow plants to regulate the flow of gasses into and Read More …

The mountain chicken frog (Leptodactylus fallax) is a critically endangered amphibian, extant only on the Caribbean islands of Dominica and Montserrat. Following numerous pressures on its survival, including hunting, volcanic eruptions, and most notably the recent incursion of the fungal Read More …

The ongoing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has placed an unprecedented strain on global society, healthcare, governments and mass media. Public dissemination of government policies, medical interventions and misinformation has been remarkably rapid and largely unregulated during the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting Read More …

The cornea is the transparent dome at the front of the eye that is essential to maintaining clear vision. In humans, the cornea is comprised of five layers, but in many other species there are only four. Bowman’s layer is Read More …

Zebrafish are one of the most well studied animals on the planet. But how they came by their beautiful black and gold stripes is more of a mystery. Our new research used mathematical modelling – and detailed observations of mutant zebrafish patterns Read More …

A new study has outlined the potential of soil-free, computer-controlled farms as climate change and soil erosion limit our ability to grow crops. This research describes the growing environmental and economic case for vertical farming methods which could see crops Read More …

Diversity in immune systems can slow down or even prevent disease (pathogens) from spreading. We already know that diversity matters, for example in protecting crops and endangered wild populations from pathogens. However, it’s not entirely clear what drives this effect Read More …

Polyploid organisms such as wheat complicate even the simplest of procedures in molecular biology. Whilst knowledge of genomic sequences in crops is increasing rapidly, the scientific community is still a long way from producing a full pan-genome for every species.  Read More …