Conifers use resin to protect themselves. This resin contains diterpenes, which act as a natural defense against insect pests. Some of these substances existed before conifers evolved, while others developed independently in different tree species later on — presumably to protect against bark beetles. A key factor in this process is the evolutionary mechanism known as "epistasis": previous genetic changes pave the way for new defenses. These findings help us better understand the natural power of plant defenses and may lead to more sustainable plant protection methods.

Australian researchers have revealed a clear relationship between stress and increased disease risk in koalas in South East Queensland and on the New South Wales North Coast.

European cisco roe is known as a Swedish delicacy. A new study has shown that there are different types of European cisco in Swedish waters that are each genetically adapted to fresh, saline or brackish water. Genetics also steers when European cisco spawn. The new knowledge from this study can be used in sustainable management of the species, and for investigating whether the spawning environment affects the quality of the roe. The study was conducted by researchers at Uppsala University, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm (KTH), Stockholm University, and the Museum of Natural History, and was recently published in the journal Molecular Ecology.

A study published today in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology is the first time researchers have shown evidence that a single drug, already licensed for medical use, can stabilise nearly all mutated versions of a human protein, regardless of where the mutation is in the sequence. The findings could help tackle a longstanding challenge in rare disease medicine. Rather than look for a drug that targets a single mutation, researchers could instead look for one that targets stabilising an entire protein, greatly accelerating drug discovery.

A University of the Sunshine Coast researcher has caught on camera and documented for the first time a rare – and rather risqué – shark mating sequence in the wild.