Kelsey Byers – Functional Ecologists

Happy Pride Month! Join the British Ecological Society in this annual, global celebration as we share stories from STEM researchers who belong to the LGBTQ+ community.  This post is by…

Empathy in Kids Linked to Poorer Health Amid Parental Conflict

Summary: Empathetic children aged 7-9 show poorer health and higher inflammation levels when exposed to interparental conflict. The research highlights the physiological impact of empathy in stressful home environments. The…

MDMA Variants Show Promise for Safer Psychotherapy

Summary: Researchers developed three new MDMA variants (ODMA, TDMA, and SeDMA) that retain the therapeutic benefits while reducing side effects. These compounds affect mood-regulating brain structures similarly to MDMA but…

Mindfulness Improves Sleep and Reduces Stress

Summary: A new study reveals that mindfulness helps improve sleep quality and reduce stress by focusing on the present and minimizing negative thoughts. The study tracked 144 nurses over two…

1 in 5 people have seasonal allergies — up from just 1% at the beginning of the 20th century. What’s the cause?

For around 20 per cent of us, nature’s annual awakening comes with side effects: Runny nose, sneezing, and itchy eyes. Some are so troubled by pollen allergies that they have…

ALS Study Reveals Subtypes and Promising Drug Target

Summary: Researchers identified four subtypes of ALS, which could lead to more effective, personalized treatments. The study also highlights significant molecular differences between men and women with ALS. A promising…

Resilience Linked to Healthier Brain and Gut

Summary: A new study reveals that resilient individuals show improved brain function and healthier gut microbiomes. The research highlights that resilient people have better emotional regulation and lower inflammation. This…

Beneficial bacteria help these marine worms survive extreme cold

Antarctic marine worms survive with a little help from their bacterial friends. Close relatives of earthworms, polychaetes are some of the most common animals on the ocean floor, but how…

Can leeches leap? New video may help answer that debate

A chance video by a grad student relishing her first big field trip might help resolve an argument that’s raged among biologists for more than a century. The question: Can…

What are the potential single and combined effects of heatwaves and extremes in water availability on microbe-plant interactions and the consequences that may leave on posterior plant-insect interactions?   – Functional Ecologists

In this new post, Oriana Sánchez-Mahecha – a PhD student from the Technical University of Munich, Germany – presents her work “Microbe-induced plant resistance against insect pests depends on timing…