PLOSable Biology

Scientists are learning new things every day. They are also writing about their discoveries. In most cases they publish in science magazines called journals like the Public Library of Science (PLOS). In our PLOSable section you will find stories that will help you read and explore the articles written by scientists.

Now jump in and start exploring PLOSable - a place where firsthand science is only a mouse click away. If you're interested in diving even further into the world of the scientific article, check out our Anatomy of an Article story. We also have stories exploring articles in evolutionary medicine in our EvMed Edits section.

Decoding Emotions in the Brain

Written by: Patrick McGurrin

Signals from the brain have been used to help scientists understand how people see, move, and make decisions. In this experiment scientists tested whether they could also use these signals to record a person's emotional state. Would they be able to detect fear, surprise, sadness, and more by looking inside the brain?

A desert sunset showing saguaros picture by Monika Häfliger

Defending Desert-dwellers

Written by: Madeline Sopa

Cacti live in one of the harshest climates on the planet: the desert. Scientists are investigating how we can make life easier for these desert-dwelling plants.

Diabetes Protein Puzzle

Written by: Randal J. Kaufman, Philip Li, Justin Hassler

Diabetes affects nearly one tenth of the population in the United States, but we still have a lot to learn about the disease. Researchers are finding that a lack of specific proteins might reduce our abilities to absorb sugar, making it a key player in the diabetes problem.

Do You Have a Caveman's Brain?

Written by: Ceara O'Brien

How much has the human brain changed from the brains of our ancient ancestors? Evolutionary psychologists think that the modern human brain has not changed much over the past 50,000 years, but other scientists disagree.

Does Playing Music Reduce Stress?

Written by: Shannon L. Jewell

Everyone gets stressed. Many of us find that listening to our favorite song usually brightens up our mood. Scientists wanted to study whether music can actually affect stress levels in the body.

Does Science Support Social Distancing?

Written by: Kyle Polen, Sarah Weiss

How well does social distancing work to control a global pandemic? With people’s lives turned upside-down due to COVID-19, many have been left to wonder if social distancing is worth it.

Doggie Diversity

Written by: Emilio Galan

Scientists are finding out that even though dogs look very different on the outside, what causes them to look that way is much similar than we thought.

Eat More, Sleep More

Written by: Alexis Abboud

Could it be your stomach and not your brain that is keeping you up at night? Scientists are learning that for some species, the effects of sleep loss may depend on how much fat an animal stores.

Fatty Foods May Lead to a Leaky Gut

Written by: Meli'sa Crawford

Fatty foods may be delicious but if we eat too much, the white blood cells in our guts can be destroyed. Learn more about the disease this can cause called “leaky gut”.

Feeding the Beast: How Germs Eat for You

Written by: Nicholas Jakob

When it comes to digesting your food, you may think that your body does all of the work by itself. In reality, your gut is full of helpful bacteria that help break down your food and keep you healthy.

Anyone can use PLOS and PLOS Biology. You do not have to pay to read articles online or to download and print them. With PLOS and PLOS Biology you have first-hand access to the latest science.

Want to write a PLOSable story? Take a look at our Notes to Authors and Artists.

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PLOSable Biology

Decoding Emotions in the Brain

Defending Desert-dwellers

Diabetes Protein Puzzle

Do You Have a Caveman's Brain?

Does Playing Music Reduce Stress?

Does Science Support Social Distancing?

Doggie Diversity

Eat More, Sleep More

Fatty Foods May Lead to a Leaky Gut

Feeding the Beast: How Germs Eat for You

Be Part of
Ask A Biologist

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PLOSable Biology

Be Part of Ask A Biologist

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