News by Subject Biology

A new study has found that crows living in large social groups are healthier than crows that have fewer social interactions.

The spread of infectious diseases such as Zika depends on many different factors. Researchers from Goethe University and the Senckenberg Society for Nature Research in Frankfurt were able to generate reliable maps for the transmission risk of the Zika virus in South America.

The frequent presence of leeches with a hidden lifestyle in the mantle cavity of freshwater mussels has been recorded since the second half of the 19th century. Yet this was, until now, regarded as an accidental phenomenon. Recent research not only reveals seven mussel-associated leech species new to science, but also shows that their association evolved over millions of years.

The parasite that causes malaria expresses genes that code for the proteins it will need in later life stages, but uses two separate schemes to prevent these proteins from actually being made until they are needed.

Shore crabs carry parasites that pose a major threat to shellfish stocks. In a new study, Swansea University researchers have used several different detection methods, including taking DNA from seawater, to build up the first comprehensive picture of the problem.

An international team has discovered a cheap and efficient way to identify transmission hotspots for schistosomiasis. The research uses rigorous field sampling and aerial images to precisely map communities that are at greatest risk for infection.