Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Fluorescence Used To Develop Method For Detecting Mercury In Fish
Researchers have developed a simple and quick method for detecting mercury in fish and dental samples, two substances at the center of public concern about mercury contamination. The technique involves...
Aussies map kangaroo genome
A team of Australian scientists have released the world's first detailed map of the kangaroo genome, completing the first phase of the kangaroo genomic project.
Gene found for vital brain structure
New research has found a gene controlling how a crucial part of the human brain develops – helping understanding of how the developing brain can go wrong.
Antibiotics can cause pervasive, persistant changes to microbiota in human gut
Using a novel technique developed by Mitchell Sogin of the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) to identify different types of bacteria, scientists have completed the most precise survey to date of...
Primate disease field guide covers critical gap in global health
Why are so many infectious diseases jumping from animals to humans? Why do we have so little capacity to predict epidemics, or avoid them? Some answers, and possible solutions, can...
New national survey says public reveres bison
Americans are woefully out of touch with the fact that the American bison, or buffalo, is in trouble as a wild, iconic species, but they do love them as an...
Gut Check Reveals Vast Multicultural Community Of Bugs In Bowels
Mention the phrase "diverse ecosystem," and it conjures images of tropical rainforests and endangered coral reefs. It also describes the human colon. A new study reveals in greater detail than...
New imaging technique tracks cancer-killing cells over prolonged period
Coaxing a patient's own cells to hunt down and tackle infected or diseased cells is a promising therapeutic approach for many disorders. But until now, efforts to follow...
For Tasmanian Devils, Hope Against a Wily Cancer
A deadly cancer has preyed on the Tasmanian devil, causing it to be listed as endangered, and scientists have begun an experimental inoculation program.
900 Oven-Ready Owls, 7,000 Live Lizards Seized in Asia
Seized during a Malaysian raid, the owls shocked wildlife-trade monitors. The sizes of this and another November seizure point to organized crime, experts say.
Scientists gain insight into the cause and possible treatment of motor neurone disease
BBSRC-funded researchers at UCL along with collaborators at King's College London have identified a molecule that could be the key to understanding the cause of neurodegenerative diseases such as motor...
Real-life Furbys rediscovered
A primate species that looks like a living, breathing version of the Furby electronic toy has been found alive in the forested highlands of an Indonesian island for the first...
Exercise increases brain growth factor and receptors, prevents stem cell drop in middle age
A new study confirms that exercise can reverse the age-related decline in the production of neural stem cells in the hippocampus of the mouse brain, and suggests that this happens...
Color perception shifts from right brain to left
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Learning the name of a color changes the part of the brain that handles color perception....
Male Bats Blast Rivals with Deep Calls
Greater sac-winged bats turn up the bass to intimidate rivals and attract females, a new study shows. With audio.
International team discovers gene associated with epilepsy
A University of Iowa-led international research team has found a new gene associated with the brain disorder epilepsy. While the PRICKLE1 gene mutation was specific to a rare form of...
Can an ant be employee of the month?
Ants specialising on one job such as snatching food from a picnic are no more efficient than 'Jane-of-all-trade' ants, according to new research...
'Orphan' genes play an important role in evolution
Closely related animal species share most of their genes and look almost identical. However, minor morphological differences allow us to tell them apart. What is the genetic basis for these...
A big bunch of tomatoes?
Why do poppies and sunflowers grow as a single flower per stalk while each stem of a tomato plant has several branches, each carrying flowers? In a new study, published...
Forensics’ next tool: Hair-collecting caterpillars
Clothes moth larvae pick up tresses, even from human corpses, to make shelters
Toxic toads killing Australian crocodiles: scientists
Toxic cane toads are killing alarming numbers of Australia's freshwater crocodiles as the alien pests hop inexorably across the continent, research showed Tuesday.
Japanese scientists clone embryo of endangered rabbit
Japanese scientists said Tuesday they had created a cloned embryo from the dead body of an endangered species of rabbit and are hoping for a birth.
Are ants that specialize better at their job?
Adam Smith, the father of modern economics, wrote in 1776 that specialized labor provides benefits to human industry, and similar benefits have been suggested to explain the world-wide success of...
Bird killings 'deeply troubling'
The number of birds of prey killed illegally in Scotland is "deeply troubling", a conservation group has said.
Protein Can Nurture Or Devastate Brain Cells, Depending On Its 'Friends,' Researchers Find
Researchers have uncovered new insights into the "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" nature of a protein that stimulates stem-cell maturation in the brain but, paradoxically, can also lead to nerve-cell...
How Cells Take Out The Trash To Prevent Disease
Garbage collectors are important for removing trash; without them waste accumulates and can quickly become a health hazard. Similarly, individual cells that make up such biological organisms as humans also...
How Cancer Spreads: Signaling Between Protein, Growth Factor Is Critical For Coordinated Cell Migration
The mysterious process that orchestrates cells to move in unison to form human and animal embryos, heal wounds, and even spread cancer depends on interaction between two well-known genetic signaling...
Got photos of polar bears in the wild?
If you have taken photos of polar bears in the wild, noting the date and location of the images, you can be part of the largest study to identify individual...