Why do cauliflowers look so odd? We've cracked the maths behind their 'fractal' shape

Cauliflowers are unique, and now we know why.

Etienne Farcot, Assistant professor of Mathematics, University of Nottingham • conversation
July 8, 2021 ~8 min

Why do cauliflowers look so odd? We've cracked the maths behind its 'fractal' shape

Cauliflowers are unique, and now we know why.

Etienne Farcot, Assistant professor of Mathematics, University of Nottingham • conversation
July 8, 2021 ~8 min


Scientists are on a path to sequencing 1 million human genomes and use big data to unlock genetic secrets

The first full human genome was sequenced 20 years ago. Now, a project is underway to sequence 1 million genomes to better understand the complex relationship between genetics, diversity and disease.

Xavier Bofill De Ros, Research Fellow in RNA biology, National Institutes of Health • conversation
April 15, 2021 ~8 min

In fish, parents' stressful experiences influence offspring behavior via epigenetic changes

A parent's or grandparent's stressful experiences change how their offspring behave. And it turns out that moms' experiences produce different changes in kids than dads'.

Jennifer Hellmann, Assistant Professor of Biology, University of Dayton • conversation
March 30, 2021 ~5 min

3 medical innovations fueled by COVID-19 that will outlast the pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic has driven a lot of scientific progress in the past year. But just as some of the social changes are likely here to stay, so are some medical innovations.

Nevan Krogan, Professor and Director of Quantitative Biosciences Institute & Senior Investigator at the Gladstone Institutes, University of California, San Francisco • conversation
March 9, 2021 ~12 min

Evolution: lab-grown 'mini brains' suggest one mutation might have rewired the human mind

Neanderthal-human hybrid brains grown in the lab give fascinating insights into evolution.

Per Brattås, Postgraduate Researcher in Clinical Genomics, Lund University • conversation
Feb. 26, 2021 ~8 min

Is our most distant animal relative a sponge or a comb jelly? Our study provides an answer

Over the past ten years, scientists have argued about what the earliest animal really was.

Paschalia Kapli, Research Fellow in Genetics, Evolution & Environment, UCL • conversation
Dec. 11, 2020 ~7 min

We scanned the DNA of 8,000 people to see how facial features are controlled by genes

Like it or not, the facial feature most influenced by your genes is your nose. Researchers investigate which genes are involved in sculpting the face.

John R. Shaffer, Assistant Professor of Human Genetics, University of Pittsburgh • conversation
Dec. 7, 2020 ~9 min


Flaws emerge in modeling human genetic diseases in animals

Recent studies using CRISPR to fast-track genetic studies into human disease genes appear flawed.

Gage Crump, Professor of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, University of Southern California • conversation
Nov. 10, 2020 ~8 min

Some bees are born curious while others are more single-minded – new research hints at how the hive picks which flowers to feast on

New research suggests individual bees are born with one of two learning styles – either curious or focused. Their genetic tendency has implications for how the hive works together.

Chelsea Cook, Assistant Professor in Biology, Marquette University • conversation
Oct. 5, 2020 ~7 min

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