Science

Scientists have engineered bacteria to produce a silk-based protein using a surprising ingredient: a protein fragment from mussels. The approach combines an artificially designed silk protein with mussel foot protein 5, or Mfp5, which the researchers found could improve the strength and toughness of the resulting fibres. According to the study published in Nature Communications,…

A rare pyramid-shaped tomb dating to the Roman period has been uncovered at Bir Al-Shaghala in Egypt’s Dakhla Oasis, revealing a striking blend of Egyptian funerary traditions and Greek and Roman influences. The discovery was announced by Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities on September 24 and has since been reported by Ahram Online, Archaeology…

A scientist turned an $80 motel room into a makeshift laboratory during follow-up fieldwork in North Carolina after first spotting two unusual microscopic cells on a family vacation. Julia Van Etten, an evolutionary biologist who joined the University of Maryland as an assistant professor in 2026, made the initial discovery in May 2021 while visiting…

Reindeer eyes undergo a striking seasonal change that helps them cope with the unusual light of the Arctic winter. During summer, the reflective layer behind the retina, known as the tapetum lucidum, has a gold-turquoise colour. In winter, it becomes deep blue, matching the extremely blue twilight that lasts for many hours at high latitudes….

For more than two centuries, native oysters were absent from Dublin Bay. That changed with a restoration project that is now placing thousands of the shellfish back into the harbour at Dún Laoghaire. As reported by Irish Times, in November 2025, more than 18,000 native Irish oysters were introduced in floating baskets along the middle…

Floating photovoltaic (FPV) platforms in a French Polynesian lagoon substantially reduced the amount of light reaching the seabed but produced no detectable change in water temperature, according to a year-long study. Researchers monitored four FPV platforms and a control area in the lagoon of Tumaraa on Ra’iātea from August 2024 to September 2025. The platforms…

Scientists have developed an environmental DNA test that can detect four invasive constrictor snakes in Florida from a single sample. The tetraplex digital PCR assay was designed to identify Burmese pythons, northern African pythons, boa constrictors, and rainbow boas, which overlap in distribution and habitat in South Florida. The study found no cross-amplification among the…

Hope Ochieng and Charles Midega in the drying greenhouse at KIYA. Image Credit: Rebecca Nelson/Cornell Chronicle Kenyan researchers are turning human excreta collected from informal settlements in Kisumu into an agricultural fertiliser designed to improve soil while reducing pollution. The product, called KIYA Gold, is being developed by Cornell researchers and Kenyan partners as a…

An Ohio solar site is becoming a working landscape for more than just electricity generation. At Big Plain Solar in Madison County, more than 3 million honey bees are being supported across a site that includes solar panels and managed beehives, as reported by Leeward Renewable Energy. The project works with veteran-led beekeeping organisations to…

According to BBC Earth, Bayliss has spent years using satellite imagery and remote-sensing technology to locate environments that are difficult or impossible to reach on foot. His work has included the discovery of other isolated rainforests in southern Africa, including Mount Mabu. Mount Lico immediately stood out. From thousands of miles above the ground, Mount…