People rely on a highly tuned sense of touch to manipulate objects, but injuries to the skin and the simple act of wearing gloves can impair this ability. Scientists report the development of a new tactile-enhancement system based on a highly sensitive sensor. The sensor has remarkable sensitivity, allowing the wearer to detect the light brush of a feather. This crack-based sensor was inspired by a spider's slit organ.

Being inconspicuous might seem the best strategy for spiders to catch potential prey in their webs, but many orb-web spiders, which hunt in this way, are brightly colored. New research finds their distinct yellow and black pattern is actually essential in luring prey.

For hundreds of years, practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine have used an herb called Stemona sessilifolia as a remedy for parasitic infections, such as those caused by pinworms and lice. Now, researchers have identified 10 compounds that might be responsible for the herb's effectiveness. But there's a twist: The insecticides are produced by symbiotic microbes that live within the plant's cells -- not by S. sessilifolia itself.

Scientists have identified a mechanism of adhesive proteins in a mussel that controls the surface adhesion and cohesion. They substantiated the synergy of molecules in adhesive proteins. Their new discovery is expected to be applied in making stronger underwater bioadhesive than the conventional ones.

Killing and eating of potential competitors has rarely been documented in the zoological literature, even though this type of interaction can affect population dynamics. Scientists now present notes regarding the predation of an assassin bug by a spider in neotropical caves. Underground, where food resources are scarce, such events might be possible as a result of ecological pressures imposed by the hostile environment, hypothesize the researchers.