Fungi are considered a promising source of biodegradable materials. Empa researchers have developed a new material based on a fungal mycelium and its own extracellular matrix. This gives the biomaterial particularly advantageous properties.

Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have conducted a clinical study to show how a woman’s genetic profile provides information on which hormone treatment is most effective for in vitro fertilisation (IVF). The researchers have now developed a simple oral swab test that shows which hormone therapy is the best option for IVF treatment.

Research from the University of Adelaide shows microbial communities in echidna pseudo-pouches undergo dramatic changes while the animal is lactating, which could help in creating an environment for their young, known as puggles, to thrive.

Flamingos have developed an amazing variety of techniques to create swirls and eddies in the water to concentrate and eat brine shrimp and other organisms, a UC Berkeley biologist found. They stomp dance to stir organisms from the bottom and concentrate them in whorls. The organisms are then drawn upward by a head jerk that forms a vortex. Meanwhile, their beak is chattering underwater to create vortices that funnel prey into their mouths.