A 550 million-year-old fossilized digestive tract found in the Nevada desert could be a key find in understanding the early history of animals on Earth. Over a half-billion years ago, life on Earth was comprised of simple ocean organisms unlike anything living in today’s oceans. Then, beginning about 540 million years ago, animal structures changed dramatically. An analysis of tubular fossils by scientists led by Jim Schiffbauer at the University of Missouri provides evidence of one of the oldest known examples of fossilized internal anatomical structures and reveals what scientists believe is a possible answer to the question of how these animals are connected.

Despite great technological advances in ocean exploration over the last 30 years, the world's most delicate deep-sea species largely remain a mystery. There has been little development in instruments that can be used to identify and safely collect fragile undersea species. That's about to change. Brennan Phillips, University of Rhode Island assistant professor of ocean engineering, has made significant advancements in the field of soft robotic grippers that can be used to gently grasp these obscure creatures.

Breakthrough findings on tuberculosis by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have attracted national scientific acclaim. Worldwide, more people die from tuberculosis (TB) than any other infectious disease, despite the majority being vaccinated—the current vaccine just isn’t that reliable. But a new study published in Nature found that simply changing the way the vaccine is administered could dramatically boost its protective power.