Latest news from Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB) on News en-us Copyright 2024 News 115 31 / /images/newswise-logo-rss.gif /articles/sicb-awarded-funding-for-major-cultural-change-initiative/?sc=rsin /articles/sicb-awarded-funding-for-major-cultural-change-initiative/?sc=rsin Fri, 05 Jan 2024 20:05:48 EST The Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB) has been awarded funding from the National Science Foundation BIO-LEAPS (Leading Culture Change through Professional Societies of Biology) Program. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB) /articles/mutant-chernobyl-wolves-evolve-anti-cancer-abilities-35-years-after-nuclear-disaster/?sc=rsin /articles/mutant-chernobyl-wolves-evolve-anti-cancer-abilities-35-years-after-nuclear-disaster/?sc=rsin Fri, 05 Jan 2024 12:05:01 EST Gray wolves in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone have altered immune responses and evolved anticancer mutations in response to chronic radiation exposure for the past 35 years Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB) /articles/a-tale-of-two-sparrows-not-everyone-likes-new-things/?sc=rsin /articles/a-tale-of-two-sparrows-not-everyone-likes-new-things/?sc=rsin Thu, 04 Jan 2024 10:05:03 EST Ecological and environmental factors are known to affect invasion success. Now, scientists have found that "braver" birds are better at invading new environments. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB) /articles/developing-frankenfrogs-hold-clues-to-the-secrets-of-body-plan-formation2/?sc=rsin /articles/developing-frankenfrogs-hold-clues-to-the-secrets-of-body-plan-formation2/?sc=rsin Wed, 03 Jan 2024 16:05:36 EST Scientists create 'frogolotls' - chimeric amphibians using surgical transplants - to see how competing cellular instructions create a unified organism Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB) /articles/feed-or-fight-how-a-honey-bee-hive-s-culture-influences-their-choice/?sc=rsin /articles/feed-or-fight-how-a-honey-bee-hive-s-culture-influences-their-choice/?sc=rsin Tue, 03 Jan 2023 11:05:06 EST Graduate student Rebecca Westwick researches how the environment of honey bee larvae influences their adult behavior. By focusing on aggression, she finds that whether bees prioritize hive protection over care of their young depends on their environment. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB) /articles/the-marvel-ous-world-of-science/?sc=rsin /articles/the-marvel-ous-world-of-science/?sc=rsin Fri, 30 Dec 2022 18:45:23 EST The classroom is constantly evolving, from chalkboards to powerpoint slides to interactive polling using clickers. But what if science were a story and we could follow along as an ant messes things up for a colony (hint: Pixar's A Bug's Life) or a fish is separated from their home (hint: Pixar's Finding Nemo)? While these stories may not be 100% scientific, their ability to engage is demonstrable in the success of these movies. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB) /articles/scientists-study-how-dragonflies-catch-prey-in-midair/?sc=rsin /articles/scientists-study-how-dragonflies-catch-prey-in-midair/?sc=rsin Fri, 30 Dec 2022 18:40:08 EST Researchers enticed dragonflies to chase a small bead as it hurtled through the air, to examine how these insects capture objects that fly in erratic and unpredictable ways. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB) /articles/pollution-fighting-superpowers-of-a-common-roadside-weed/?sc=rsin /articles/pollution-fighting-superpowers-of-a-common-roadside-weed/?sc=rsin Fri, 30 Dec 2022 18:35:01 EST When horseweed is grown in contaminated soil, it extracts and accumulates heavy metals like lead, copper, and zinc. These fast-growing plants could help to detoxify even highly polluted environments. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB) /articles/birds-are-jerks-sometimes-how-a-mother-s-quest-to-defend-her-eggs-against-invaders-influences-offspring-development/?sc=rsin /articles/birds-are-jerks-sometimes-how-a-mother-s-quest-to-defend-her-eggs-against-invaders-influences-offspring-development/?sc=rsin Fri, 30 Dec 2022 18:30:09 EST Animals must defend resources critical to their and their offspring's survival. With few resources, tree swallows become more territorial, which likely increases testosterone allocation in their eggs. This may promote offspring aggression, a trait critical for survival in competitive environments. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB) /articles/the-devil-is-in-the-details-how-poison-dart-frogs-avoid-poisoning-themselves/?sc=rsin /articles/the-devil-is-in-the-details-how-poison-dart-frogs-avoid-poisoning-themselves/?sc=rsin Fri, 30 Dec 2022 18:25:31 EST Poison dart frogs eat and accumulate toxins in their skin. Yet, unlike their predators, it does not seem to bother them. Researchers at Stanford University discovered a toxin-transporter protein that may hang on to the toxins and prevent them from wreaking havoc before they reach the frog's skin. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB) /articles/the-importance-of-being-earnest-engaging-with-student-teacher-identities-improves-classroom-experience/?sc=rsin /articles/the-importance-of-being-earnest-engaging-with-student-teacher-identities-improves-classroom-experience/?sc=rsin Thu, 25 Aug 2022 10:30:56 EST Honesty between faculty and students improves student experiences in college. Professors who actively consider student identity and sharing their own can increase student fulfillment. Although daunting, new data indicate that students are ready to embrace a new kind of learning environment. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB) /articles/covid-more-cases-more-mutations-more-problems2/?sc=rsin /articles/covid-more-cases-more-mutations-more-problems2/?sc=rsin Thu, 25 Aug 2022 10:25:19 EST Using publicly available data on COVID variant rates, researchers from the University of Hawai'i are investigating how mutations in the virus' genome impact its ability to spread and weaken immune responses. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB) /articles/a-lose-lose-game-animals-are-under-threat-as-the-climate-gets-warmer-and-more-variable/?sc=rsin /articles/a-lose-lose-game-animals-are-under-threat-as-the-climate-gets-warmer-and-more-variable/?sc=rsin Fri, 05 Aug 2022 14:10:53 EST In an effort to understand how climate changes will affect many species at once, PhD candidate Guillermo Garcia Costoya created simulations that can predict how likely animals are to go extinct in different climatic conditions. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB) /articles/the-netflix-of-scientific-conferences/?sc=rsin /articles/the-netflix-of-scientific-conferences/?sc=rsin Mon, 04 Jan 2021 08:05:55 EST Scientific conferences are the lifeblood of science, but scientists have had to reinvent their beloved annual meetings in the face of COVID-19. The Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology has embraced these challenges and opportunities by setting up the 'Netflix' of scientific meetings. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB) /articles/the-machine-inside-a-catfish-s-catch/?sc=rsin /articles/the-machine-inside-a-catfish-s-catch/?sc=rsin Fri, 13 Nov 2020 17:00:57 EST New research into how catfish capture prey provides an unparalleled view of the internal mechanics of fish skulls and could inspire the design of new underwater robots. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB) /articles/the-best-defense-could-well-be-a-beard/?sc=rsin /articles/the-best-defense-could-well-be-a-beard/?sc=rsin Wed, 15 Apr 2020 13:00:16 EST Scientists Ethan A. Beseris, Steven E. Naleway and David R. Carrier recently discovered that though having a beard won't save you from getting knocked out in a fight, it will likely save you from collateral damage. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB) /articles/do-post-doc-interviews-in-the-life-sciences-promote-bias/?sc=rsin /articles/do-post-doc-interviews-in-the-life-sciences-promote-bias/?sc=rsin Sun, 01 Dec 2019 13:00:00 EST Post-doctoral training is a critical career stage for researchers in the life sciences yet interviewing for a post-doctoral position is largely an unregulated process. Without regulation, interviews are susceptible to unconscious biases that may lead to discrimination against certain demographic groups (e.g., women and minorities). Using data from an online survey of post-docs, we show that interview procedures for post-doctoral positions in the life sciences are correlated with several factors (e.g., candidate demographics) in ways that may bias the outcome of interviews. We discuss key components of interviews and suggest that conducting standardized, well-planned interviews that are less susceptible to unconscious biases may help increase the retention of women and under-represented minorities in the life sciences. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB) /articles/meet-the-world-s-most-fashionable-caterpillars/?sc=rsin /articles/meet-the-world-s-most-fashionable-caterpillars/?sc=rsin Mon, 07 Jan 2019 00:00:00 EST Scientists at Tufts University have designed special LED "suits" that help them understand how caterpillars crawl. Versace might dress the likes of Shakira and Beyonce, but Guy Levy designs for a far more unusual - and wriggly - client: the tobacco hornworm caterpillar (Manduca sexta). Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB) /articles/bat-wing-muscles-specialize-for-different-temperature-ranges/?sc=rsin /articles/bat-wing-muscles-specialize-for-different-temperature-ranges/?sc=rsin Sat, 05 Jan 2019 00:00:00 EST Bats have long intrigued humans. In a variety of cultures, they embody malevolent symbolism, including darkness, death, foreboding, and evil spirits. In others, they're benevolent flyers who bestow good fortune. Bats themselves also come in a variety of forms and shapes. The miniscule "bumblebee bat," ranks among the world's smallest mammals. Flying foxes, which eat mostly fruit and other vegetation, can have wingspans reaching up to 6 feet long. The clear-winged wooly bat may be one of the strangest to look at. Its wings are nearly transparent, and the muscles, circulatory system, and bones are clearly visible through the translucent, almost-paper-thin skin. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB) /articles/getting-stressed-by-artificial-light-at-night/?sc=rsin /articles/getting-stressed-by-artificial-light-at-night/?sc=rsin Fri, 04 Jan 2019 00:05:42 EST Light pollution is on everyone's minds in Reno, Nevada, a city famous for its bright lights and nightlife. Nighttime light pollution is a growing concern for cities worldwide. Artificial light at night has been found to cause serious health effects including disrupting our sleep-wake cycle (break)-our circadian rhythm. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB)