Wolf spiders that build webs produce silks that perform differently than those that do not build webs, supporting hypotheses that web building and silk performance co-evolved in spiders.

New antibiotics are needed to treat infections caused by bacteria that can no longer be killed by current drugs. We have improved an existing antibiotic by chemically adding on extra pieces that make it bind more strongly to bacteria.

We previously demonstrated that commonly used food additives can modify the community of micro-organisms that live in our intestine, and by doing so, boost the development of intestinal inflammation and colon cancer.

Does specializing on particular resources restrict an organism’s ability to adapt to changing environments and increase its chances of extinction? Species adapted to living underground (fossoriality) tend to be highly specialized to their fossorial environment at multiple levels, and such specialization could potentially limit their ability to adapt to new or changing environments.

Microorganisms inhabiting our gut degrade certain nutrients into molecules capable of activating brain-resident immune cells to control inflammation. This could possibly limit the progression of some neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis.

A rare African snake was recently found to have skin that is thicker and harder to pierce than “typical” snake skin. This tough skin may be a defense against the bites of parental rodents, since the snake feeds mainly on rodent babies.