Biology

The biologists Rosemary and Peter Grant have spent four decades on a tiny island in the Galápagos. Their discoveries reveal how new animal species can emerge in just a few generations.

Gene drives promise to spread a trait across an entire population. But evolutionary forces are going to alter even the best-engineered plans.

The infamous case of Typhoid Mary underscores the importance of tolerance in understanding disease.

Scientists have developed new ways to forecast who will bounce back from disease by studying not just the way the immune system fights infections, but how the body repairs itself.

An RNA molecule that can make copies of a variety of RNAs adds new support to the RNA-world theory.

Irrationality may be a consequence of the brain’s ravenous energy needs.

The subtle mechanics of densely packed cells may help explain why some cancerous tumors stay put while others break off and spread through the body.

To develop new model organisms, scientists will have to find species that are easy to grow in the lab.

The bulk of biological research is centered on a handful of species. Are we missing a huge chunk of interesting biology?