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Reducing caloric intake delays nerve cell loss

To delay the onset of neurodegeneration, mice have the option to undergo a regimen of caloric restriction (represented by the scale) or a pharmacological treatment with a SIRT1-activation compound (SRT), both of which result in reduced memory loss and preserved synaptic plasticity.

Bird's playlist could signal mental strengths and weaknesses

Having the biggest playlist doesn't make a male songbird the brainiest of the bunch, a new study shows.

Allosaurus fed more like a falcon than a crocodile, new study finds

The mighty T. rex may have thrashed its massive head from side to side to dismember prey, but a new study shows that its smaller cousin Allosaurus was a more...

Going green: Nation equipped to grow serious amounts of pond scum for fuel

A new analysis shows that the nation's land and water resources could likely support the growth of enough algae to produce up to 25 billion gallons of algae-based fuel a...

MU researchers develop radioactive nanoparticles that target cancer cells

Cancers of all types become most deadly when they metastasize and spread tumors throughout the body. Once cancer has reached this stage, it becomes very difficult for doctors to locate...

NASA builds unusual testbed for analyzing X-ray navigation technologies

Pulsars have a number of unusual qualities. Like zombies, they shine even though they're technically dead, and they rotate rapidly, emitting powerful and regular beams of radiation that are seen...

14 closely related crocodiles existed around 5 million years ago

Today, the most diverse species of crocodile are found in northern South America and Southeast Asia: As many as six species of alligator and four true crocodiles exist, although no...

Intestinal bacteria protect against E. coli O157:H7

A cocktail of non-pathogenic bacteria naturally occurring in the digestive tract of healthy humans can protect against a potentially lethal E. coli infection in animal models according to research presented...

Do salamanders hold the solution to regeneration?

Salamanders' immune systems are key to their remarkable ability to regrow limbs, and could also underpin their ability to regenerate spinal cords, brain tissue and even parts of their hearts,...

UC Davis engineers create on-wetting fabric drains sweat

Waterproof fabrics that whisk away sweat could be the latest application of microfluidic technology developed by bioengineers at the University of California, Davis.

Parasitic wasps use calcium pump to block fruit fly immunity

Parasitic wasps switch off the immune systems of fruit flies by draining calcium from the flies' blood cells, a finding that offers new insight into how pathogens break through a...

Keeping stem cells strong

When infections occur in the body, stem cells in the blood often jump into action by multiplying and differentiating into mature immune cells that can fight off illness. But repeated infections and inflammation can deplete these cell populations, potentially leading...

Minus environment, patterns still emerge

Environment is not the only factor in shaping regulatory patterns -- and it might not even be the primary factor, according to a new Rice University study that looks at...

Small but speedy: Short plants live in the evolutionary fast lane

Biologists have known for a long time that some creatures evolve more quickly than others. Exactly why isn't well understood, particularly for plants. But it may be that height plays...

Rice unveils method for tailoring optical processors

Rice University scientists have unveiled a robust new method for arranging metal nanoparticles in geometric patterns that can act as optical processors that transform incoming light signals into output of...

Single-cell transfection tool enables added control for biological studies

Northwestern University researchers have developed a new method for delivering molecules into single, targeted cells through temporary holes in the cell surface. The technique could find applications in drug delivery,...

Origins of human culture linked to rapid climate change

Rapid climate change during the Middle Stone Age, between 80,000 and 40,000 years ago, during the Middle Stone Age, sparked surges in cultural innovation in early modern human populations, according...

Soft matter offers new ways to study how ordered materials arrange themselves

A fried breakfast food popular in Spain provided the inspiration for the development of doughnut-shaped droplets that may provide scientists with a new approach for studying fundamental issues in physics,...

Protein study suggests drug side effects are inevitable

A new study of both computer-created and natural proteins suggests that the number of unique pockets -- sites where small molecule pharmaceutical compounds can bind to proteins -- is surprisingly...

Bed sharing leads to fivefold increase in risk of cot death for babies whose parents do not smoke

Parents who share a bed with their breastfed baby could face a fivefold increase in the risk of crib death, even if the parents do not smoke, according to a...

Principles of locomotion in confined spaces could help robot teams work underground

Future teams of subterranean search and rescue robots may owe their success to the lowly fire ant, a much-despised insect whose painful bites and extensive networks of underground tunnels are...

Iron-platinum alloys could be new-generation hard drives

Meeting the demand for more data storage in smaller volumes means using materials made up of ever-smaller magnets, or nanomagnets. One promising material for a potential new generation of recording...