Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Geneticists create kidney blueprint
An international team of scientists have created a genetic blueprint of the mamalian kidney in a hope to better understand developmental abnormalities.
Study establishes formula for predicting climate change impact on salmon stocks
University of British Columbia researchers have found a way to accurately predict the impact of climate change on imperilled Pacific salmon stocks that could result in better management strategies...
Species Diversity Of Enigmatic 'Flying Lemurs' Doubled By New Study
Colugos, the closest living relatives of primates most notable for their ability to glide from tree to tree over considerable distances, are more diverse than had previously been believed, according...
Study answers Darwinian evolution question
PRINCETON, N.J., Nov. 13 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists have discovered the chains of proteins found in most living organisms act as adaptive machines, able to control their own...
Researchers use chemical from medicinal plants to fight HIV
Like other kinds of cells, immune cells lose the ability to divide as they age because a part of their chromosomes known as a telomere becomes progressively shorter with cell...
What makes an axon an axon?
Inside every axon is a dendrite waiting to get out. Hedstrom et al. converted mature axons into dendrites by banishing a protein crucial for neuron development. The results suggest that...
Pollinator decline not reducing crop yields just yet
The well-documented worldwide decline in the number of bees and other pollinators is not, at this stage, limiting global crop yields, according to the results of an international study published...
Helicopters Collect Whale Snot from Blowholes
The mist from whales' blowholes could give scientists information on their health.
Rare clones found to leave more offspring
MELBOURNE, Nov. 11 (UPI) -- Australian researchers have discovered genetic variation in insects that reproduce by cloning themselves is maintained by mutations in the cloned offspring.
Darwin's finches offer new glimpse into how species diverge
Some of the latest research on Darwin's finches of the Galapagos Islands shows an unexpected pattern of natural selection that is allowing researchers 'a rare glimpse into what the early...
Researchers describe 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...
Signalling between protein, growth factor 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 signalling...
In the absence of sexual prospects, parasitic male worms go spermless
When females aren't around, one species of parasitic nematode worm doesn't even bother to make any sperm, reveals a new report in the 11 November issue of Current Biology, a...
Forced Evolution: Can We Mutate Viruses To Death?
Can scientists create a designer drug that forces viruses to mutate themselves out of existence? A new study by bioengineers could help make it happen. The study offers the most...
Sharks and rays off UK shores critically endangered and facing extinction
More than a quarter of sharks and rays in the north-east Atlantic f
Bacteria In Mouth Help Make Certain Foods Tasty
Scientists in Switzerland are reporting that bacteria in the human mouth play a role in creating the distinctive flavors of certain foods. They found that these bacteria actually produce food...
How 'molecular machines' kick start gene activation revealed
How 'molecular machines' inside cells swing into action to activate genes at different times in a cell's life is revealed today (6 November) in new research published in Molecular Cell.
Females compensate for unattractive partners
(PhysOrg.com) -- Attractive males promise quality offspring. Most female birds therefore invest a lot of energy in their attempts to breed with attractive partners. Not so the female zebra finch....
VIDEO: Cheetahs Return to Zebra Park
For 70 years, zebras at South Africa's Mountain Zebra National Park have had few predators. But now, conservationists are reintroducing cheetahs to the landscape.
Pakistan to launch fisheries 'megaprojects'
Research will form an essential part of Pakistan's attempt to boost its fisheries sector.
Scientists decode cancer patient's DNA
ST. LOUIS, Nov. 10 (UPI) -- Scientists in St. Louis say they have decoded the complete DNA of a cancer patient and traced her disease -- acute myelogenous...
Untangling DNA Regulation: Biologists Theorize Role For DNA Packaging In Stem Cell Development
Biologists have discovered that the organization of DNA's packing material plays a critical role in directing stem cells to become different types of adult cells.
Researchers aim to over-stress already taxed mantle cell lymphoma cells
Cancer cells are already stressed by the fast pace they require to grow and spread and scientists believe a little more stress just may kill them...
Zeigler-brand hot dog products recalled
WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 (UPI) -- The U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service announced the recall of about 28,610 pounds of Zeigler-brand hot dog products due to possible contamination.
Small Water Fleas Help Ecologists Understand Population Dynamics
A study of populations of tiny water fleas is helping ecologists to understand population dynamics, which may lead to predictions about the ecological consequences of environmental change.
Dengue mosquito eggs 'can survive under dry conditions'
The discovery, published by Brazilian researchers, will enable the development of new strategies to fight the dengue vector Aedes aegypti.
Tangoing with lupus
Melissa Alexander, an 18-year-old dance instructor from Bradford, Ont., is fighting a battle with a complex disease - lupus.
Promiscuous frogs spread eggs widely
A study has found that an Australian frog species has the most promiscuous females of any vertebrate on record, as they share their eggs with up to eight males.