Biology Stories

Explore the world of biology and meet some of our biologists. Here you can learn about the living world and find out what is so cool about biology that someone would do it for a living. Pick a story to read or listen to one of our podcast shows filled with guest scientists who share their experiences and passion for discovery.

An interview with taxonomist Diana Lipscomb from George Washington University. Dr. Biology dives into the mystery of the dying coral reefs. This is a hot topic in the marine biology world and one you are sure to learn a lot about these amazing animals.

The tiny world of nanobiology is the topic of this show. Dr. Biology sits down with nanobiologist and physicist Stuart Lindsay to learn about nanobiology and some of the cool and strange things that happen when things are so small.

Fascinating and bizarre interactions control the world around us, at a scale too small to see—the nanoscale. By studying the nanoworld, we can create nanomachines that mimic nature.

Also in: Italiano | عربى

When humans change an environment, it means we can lose species. And losing species is bad news for humans, animals, and the environment.

Colors are not just for humans. In fact, Mother Nature has been playing with color and love for very long time. What are these colors of love? Are they all the brightest and boldest colors, or is there more to the story?

Medicinal plants come in all shapes and sizes. Probably some of the weeds growing in your yard, fields, or even cracks in your sidewalk are medicinal. Who knew there was a different kind of drugstore—a vital and ancient one—all around us?
Also in: Holandés

Dr. Biology has a chance to learn some interesting things about exploring for new species from biologists Vicki Funk and Richard Pyle from the Smithsonian Institute and the Bishop Museum. This episode might just put the explorer bug into your head.

Sea life might not appear to be restricted to living in certain areas. But often they can only live in specific areas, even in the deepest parts of the ocean.

Scorpions are often misunderstood. Many people say that scorpions are so aggressive they will sting themselves to death, but this is not a natural behavior of scorpions in the wild.
Also in: Français | Español

Have you ever wished for a place on the Web where you could find quality science content that you can count on and trust? Your wish has been granted. Learn about the National Science Digital Library and all the projects and resources created just for science, technology, engineering and math. It's as close to one-stop shopping for learning materials and activities as one can find on the Web today.

The open ocean is the largest biome on earth and it is the least understood. What undiscovered life might float in the dark, deep, depths of the sea?
Also in: Français | Español

Did you know the westerly winds in the Southern Ocean have been helping to keep our planet livable? Yes, they have been responsible for soaking up half of the human-made carbon dioxide (CO2) along with a whole lot of excess heat. Dr. Biology has the opportunity to talk with geoscientist Joellen Russell about the research she and a group of scientists have been doing in the southern hemisphere that tells us how important these winds and the oceans are for regulating the temperature of the planet.

Scientists can make great discoveries doing experiments on mice. But it turns out they aren't always as successful as they think.

Do you need to run five miles every day to get in shape and be healthy? Dr. Biology has a chance to sit down after a workout session to talk about exercise and kids with metabolic biologist Gabriel Shaibi. What he and a group of researchers found might surprise you.

Arianne Cease isn't just any locust biologist. She's also a sustainability scientist, as she's bringing together all kinds of researchers to work on reducing the number of locust swarms, which affect 1 in 10 people across the globe.

Around 4,000 years ago, on the wind-swept island of St. Kilda, Scotland, people started creating a food storage of sorts. They moved a population of sheep to the island, likely as a backup food resource for when times were tough. Little did they know that their actions would affect 21st-century science. Today, rather than ending up as a meal, sheep from this isolated population are the subjects of research on immune function. Ecologist Andrea Graham takes Dr. Biology on a trip of exploration through the dangerous cliffs, windy conditions, and wormy world that the Soay sheep deal with on St. Kilda.

Tuberculosis (TB) can be a lethal infection that affects your lungs and can make breathing difficult. Here, scientists investigated how a new TB drug, called bedaquiline (BDQ), works in the body, and which combination of medications helps BDQ work better. 

A transplant is what happens when doctors take a body part from one person and give it to another person, kind of like Frankenstein except not so scary-looking. Scientists are hard at work on some of the most difficult parts to transplant like hands and faces.

Ouch! You just got a paper cut on your finger. What happens now? Besides the sting you are feeling from the cut, there are germs on that paper that are preparing to invade your body. For your immune system, this means war.
Also in: Türk

An interview with biologist Doug Lake from the Arizona State University School of Life Sciences. Dr. Biology and his co-host Ramon Santos find out how something as simple as a paper cut can put our body defense to work.

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