Bumble bees have discriminating palettes when it comes to their pollen meals, according to researchers at Penn State. The researchers found that bumble bees can detect the nutritional quality of pollen, and that this ability helps them selectively forage among plant species to optimize their diets.

"Populations of many bee species are in decline across the world, and poor nutrition is thought to be a major factor causing these declines," said Christina Grozinger, director of the Center for Pollinator Research, Penn State. "Our studies can help identify plant species and stocks that provide high-quality nutrition for bumble bees and potentially other bee species, which will help in the development of pollinator-friendly gardens and planting strips."

The era of quantum computers is one step closer as a result of research published in the current issue of the journal Science. The research team has devised and demonstrated a new way to pack a lot more quantum computing power into a much smaller space and with much greater control than ever before. The research advance, using a 3-dimensional array of atoms in quantum states called quantum bits -- or qubits -- was made by David S. Weiss, professor of physics at Penn State University, and three students on his lab team.

An international research collaboration led by UCL scientists has developed ways to improve the quality and accuracy of information harvested from epigenome sequencing datasets in two new research papers published jointly in Nature Biotechnology and Nature Communications today. According to the studies, epigenome sequencing technologies can allow for more comprehensive analysis of cancers - a key component in the development of targeted approaches to combat cancer.

In a partnership melding neuroscience and electrical engineering, researchers from UNC-Chapel Hill and NC State University have developed a new technology that will allow neuroscientists to capture images of the brain almost 10 times larger than previously possible - helping them better understand the behavior of neurons in the brain.

Nervous systems are complex. After all, everything that any animal thinks or does is controlled by its nervous system. To better understand how complex nervous systems work, researchers have used an expanding array of ever more sophisticated tools that allow them to actually see what's going on. In some cases, neuroscience researchers have had to create entirely new tools to advance their work.

ITHACA, N.Y. - Games are usually more fun when you play with other people, but if you're playing an educational game, interacting with other players may help you learn more, according to Cornell University research.

Using a language-learning game called "Crystallize," created by Erik Andersen, assistant professor of computer science, and his students, researchers found that when players are required to work together they learn more words -- and enjoy the game more.

Andersen and colleagues described the game and reported on their user studies at the 2016 ACM Conference on Human-Computer Interaction in San Jose, California.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Using virtual tissue technology, researchers at Indiana University have identified a potential new drug target in the fight against polycystic kidney disease, an illness with no effective FDA-approved treatment that affects 200,000 people per year in the United States.

The study appears in the journal Molecular Biology of the Cell. It reveals that errors in how cells stick together give rise to two forms of kidney cysts.

These cysts can cause an adult kidney -- normally about the size of a fist and weighing less than a pound -- to grow to the size of a football that weights 20 to 30 pounds. Currently, only dialysis or a kidney transplant can delay death from the disease.