Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Rare sheep could be key to better diagnostic tests in developing world, study
The newest revolution in microbiology testing walks on four legs and says "baa."
Australia welcomes its first new-born elephant
Australia has welcomed the first elephant ever born in the country with the arrival of a 100-kilogram (220.4-pound) male calf at a Sydney zoo, according to keepers.
Climate Change And The Mystery Of The Shrinking Sheep
Milder winters are causing Scotland's wild breed of Soay sheep to get smaller, despite the evolutionary benefits of possessing a large body, according to new research.
Dr. William Meller talks about his book 'Evolution Rx'
Diet, stretching, cancer and more. ...
Old gene mutations may cause cancer today
BEERSHEBA, Israel, July 3 (UPI) -- Gene mutations that once helped humans evolve and survive could increase the risk of cancer and other diseases today, researchers in Israel...
Genetically modified vines avoid virus
AACHEN, Germany, July 3 (UPI) -- Genetic engineering could make grapevines immune to a common virus that now results in smaller grapes and crop loss, German scientists said.
Early detection sought for aquatic invasive weed Eurasian Watermilfoil
(PhysOrg.com) -- Battling invasive plants is nothing new to Montanans, but a newcomer on the scene dwells in the water. This aquatic invader is called Eurasian watermilfoil. Fortunately, Montanans can...
Cells use import machinery to export their goods as well
(PhysOrg.com) -- In the bustling economy of the cell, little bubbles called vesicles serve as container ships, ferrying cargo to and from the port - the cell membrane. Some...
Birds Key to Serengeti Ecosystem
Seed-eating birds in the Serengeti are necessary in order to maintain the forest, scientists said this week.
Fewer California sea otters reported
MONTEREY, Calif., July 3 (UPI) -- A decrease in California's endangered sea otter population likely means their water has grown more contaminated, scientists said.
Ecological Niche Modeling And Finding Sasquatch's Range Distribution
Ecological Niche Modeling is a great tool for conservation biology, phylogeography and evolutionary biology. However, as Jeff Lozier and colleagues point out in a paper in the Journal of Biogeography...
How honeybee mobs smother giant hornets to death
Bees smother hornets in a "bee ball" that kills the giant predators with heat and carbon dioxide.
Harnessing Nanoparticles To Track Cancer Cell Changes
The more dots there are, the more accurate a picture you get when you connect them. Cancer researchers adopting that philosophy have developed a new imaging technology that could give...
Even Cockroaches Get Fat on Bad Food
Cockroaches who eat an unhealthy diet become fat and mature late.
Experts Call For Federal Regulation Of Genetic Ancestry Testing
The need for a clear set of rules governing genetic ancestry testing is becoming more urgent, according to experts, given the proliferation of private corporations that promise consumers insight into...
Gene's novel role may provide key to treating liver and neurodegenerative diseases
Scientists at Singapore's Bioprocessing Technology Institute (BTI) have made a novel discovery about how the gene, "Fas-apoptosis inhibitory molecule" (FAIM), protects both immune and liver cells from apoptosis, or programmed...
New national genome centre launched
A new UK national genome centre is being officially opened today (3 July) by Nobel Laureate and genome pioneer Prof. Sir John Sulston and the Lord-Lieutenant of Norfolk...
A sanctuary threatened
The BBC's Gary Duffy assesses the future the Brazilian Pantanal, one of the World's largest freshwater wetlands.
'Jumping gene' diminishes the effect of a new type 2 diabetes risk gene
Research led by the German Institute of Human Nutrition (DIfE) has identified a new gene associated with diabetes, together with a mechanism that makes obese mice less susceptible to diabetes....
Small Heat-Shielded Habitats Could Help Threatened Species Survive Climate Change
Intelligent countryside management could improve the survival chances of animal and plant species threatened by climate change. The creation of small heat-shielded habitats and better links between habitats would counteract...
New Actions Of Neurochemicals Discovered
Although the tiny roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans has only 302 neurons in its entire nervous system, studies of this simple animal have significantly advanced our understanding of human brain function because...
New Targeted Therapy Finds And Eliminates Deadly Leukemia Stem Cells
New research describes a molecular tool that shows great promise as a therapeutic for human acute myeloid leukemia, a notoriously treatment-resistant blood cancer. The study describes exciting preclinical studies in...
Bioethicists call for federal regulation of genetic ancestry testing
Imagine donating a sample of your DNA to help researchers study the genetics of diabetes. The disease is common among your friends and family, and you're proud of your role...
STATUE OF LIBERTY PICTURES: Rare Views, Inside and Out
Before it reopens on the Fourth of July, get an insider's eye on the Statue of Liberty—the inside of her face, the little-known ladder to the torch, and more.
'Genetic arms race' between bacteria, viruses subject of stimulus grant
The oceans teem with microscopic bacteria that produce much of Earth's oxygen as they absorb carbon dioxide greenhouse gas. But fast-mutating viruses also populate the seas, attacking marine bacteria in...
Study: Outdoor cats easy prey for coyotes
WASHINGTON, July 2 (UPI) -- A U.S. study has determined some wild coyotes regularly feed on outdoor domestic and feral cats.
Brain malformations significantly associated with preterm birth, Wake Forest research shows
New research out of Wake Forest University School of Medicine provides for the first time a solid scientific answer for the long-standing question of whether there is an association between...
National Briefing | Washington: Animal Research Facilities Must Disclose More
The facilities will be required to disclose more information online about their experiments under a court settlement signed by the Humane Society and the Agriculture Department.