A severed piece of sea cucumber refused to die, and what happened next could transform medicine

The St. George's mushroom (Calocybe gambosa) is a popular edible mushroom, usually picked in May. Unfortunately, however, it also carries a risk as it can easily be confused with the young deadly fiber cap, which can potentially lead to fatal poisoning. The reason for this is the mushroom toxin muscarine, which is present in high concentrations in the deadly fiber cap. Muscarine is best known from the fly agaric, in which it was first discovered.

Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have uncovered key principles that govern how DNA "origami" structures fold, findings that could make nanoscale materials faster and easier to manufacture. DNA origami is a technique that uses strands of DNA to self-assemble into tiny, programmable shapes. Although the method has shown promise for applications ranging from drug delivery to advanced materials, scientists have struggled to consistently achieve high yields, especially as structures b

Ascidians, also known as sea squirts, are the evolutionary link between vertebrates and invertebrates, making them valuable subjects of biological studies. For the first time, researchers at Ruhr University Bochum have detected pronounced autofluorescence in Halocynthia papillosa, one of more than 3,000 species. Furthermore, the study provides comprehensive insights into the anatomy of this sea squirt.

A Brazilian study published in the journal Ecography indicates that the biodiversity of anuran amphibians (toads and frogs) on islands is determined by factors encompassed in two previously opposing theories.