A new study suggests that microRNA from plants can enter the bloodstream of bears and facilitate adaptation to a herbivorous ...

Pandas famously love bamboo but the fluffy mammals’ actually have digestive systems typical of animals that eat a meat-based diet - and Chinese scientists now think they know why.

Giant pandas have digestive systems that are typical for carnivores. Yet, bamboo is their main source of food. They have ...

Scientists discovered that bamboo's miRNA enters giant pandas' blood, influencing their feeding habits and taste perception.

Li said: “MiRNA in bamboo can enter giant pandas’ bodies through diet, be absorbed by the intestine, enter the blood circulation, and then regulate when the giant panda’s RNA transfers information, ...

And that's understandable, as bamboo makes up about 99% of a panda's diet. A giant panda will eat as much as 84 lb (38 kg) of bamboo per day. Leaves, stems, shoots and all. It's a good thing for ...

MiRNA plays “a role in regulating the gene expression of giant pandas,” said Dr Li ... according to the study. Though the panda’s diet consists almost entirely of bamboo leaves, stems ...