The loss of a queen triggers intense battles for power among female wasps, disrupting the colony’s social structure. Surprisingly, other wasps avoid the fighting and keep the colony functioning by taking care of its most important daily tasks. What happens when a queen suddenly disappears from a wasp colony? According to new research led by [...]

Scientists have developed “living plastics” that can be programmed to break themselves down when triggered. Many plastic items are made for one-time use, but the materials can remain in the environment for years. Researchers are exploring a different approach: living plastics, materials built with microbes that can be activated to break down the polymer when [...]

A new evolutionary analysis suggests that modern blood and immune cells may preserve a 700-million-year legacy inherited from ancient single-celled ancestors. Long before humans, dinosaurs, or even fish existed, ancient single-celled organisms may have already carried the genetic blueprint for one of the body’s most important systems: blood. A new study from Kyoto University suggests [...]

A tiny worm discovered in the Great Salt Lake could help scientists better understand the origins and resilience of life in extreme environments. Its story remains largely a mystery. The Great Salt Lake is famous for brine shrimp, brine flies, and water so salty that few animals can survive in it. Now scientists have added [...]

Scientists discovered that fog droplets can host living bacteria that grow and help remove harmful pollutants from the atmosphere, revealing fog as a surprisingly active microbial environment. Every breath you take may contain microscopic hitchhikers floating through the atmosphere. Scientists have known for years that bacteria drift through clouds and air currents, but new research [...]