A research team has unveiled the molecular mechanism behind the fading of lilac (Syringa oblata) flowers, a long-standing mystery in ornamental plant biology. 

A Harvard study shows that commercially available sensors worn on a runner's body can provide useful data on what researchers call ground-reaction forces. These insights could open avenues to devices and products that deliver this data in real time to help runners avoid injury and improve their form.

The Association for Molecular Pathology has awarded Michael Laposata, M.D., Ph.D., its Champion for Innovation Award. Laposata was recognized for his contributions to the clinical laboratory field and for his role as a joint plaintiff in AMP’s successful lawsuit challenging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s rule on laboratory-developed test procedure regulation. The award will be presented in November during the AMP 2025 Annual Meeting & Expo in Boston.

A research team sheds light on how sunlight exposure drives the transformation of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fabrics into microfibers, revealing that darker-colored textiles—especially purple ones—fragment faster than lighter colors.

A new international analysis now published in Global Change Biology warns that penguin survival hinges on a shift in how science and conservation policy approach climate change: rather than examining extreme events in isolation, it is their cumulative effects that must be assessed. Applied for the first time in a quantitative way across habitats of all 18 penguin species in the Southern Hemisphere, this perspective provides a crucial tool to anticipate risks and design more effective conservation policies.

From decoding genomes to predicting protein structures, artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming a cornerstone of biology. To help harness its potential for discovery through data analysis, the Stowers Institute for Medical Research has appointed Sumner Magruder, Ph.D., as its first AI Fellow. The new role within the Stowers Fellows Program is designed to accelerate the integration of advanced computational methods into biological research.

The quality of relationships and the social organization of a society, influence the transfer of valuable resources not only in humans but also in other primates. Researchers at the German Primate Center (DPZ) – Leibniz Institute for Primate Research in Göttingen have discovered this using the example of Guinea baboons (Papio papio), which distribute meat according to patterns similar to those of human hunter-gatherer groups. The team analyzed 109 meat-eating events and combined these records with behavioral data from nearly a decade of field research. The closer the relationship between two animals, the more likely and peaceful the transfer of meat was. In contrast, theft occurred among less closely related group members (iScience).