Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Census reveals octopuses family ties
The Census of Marine Life currently being completed in the depths of the ocean has revealed that most octopuses have a common ancestor.
Census of Marine Life Releases New Findings
The Census of Marine Life is a 10 year science initiative to study our world's oceans. Recent findings from the 4th update include new discoveries in evolution, populations and...
Engineered T cells might help fight HIV
PITTSBURGH, Nov. 11 (UPI) -- U.S. and British scientists say they've created T cells able to recognize human immunodeficiency virus strains that have evaded the body's immune system.
New Role For Critical DNA Repair Molecule In Immune System
The human immune system is a brilliantly adaptable weapon against foreign invaders. But it all depends on the work of specialized cells called lymphocytes that have made a risky evolutionary...
How Plant Cells Synthesize Pharmaceutical Compounds
A Finnish researcher's work on two plants -- tobacco and Egyptian henbane -- is yielding new information about the functions of genes involved with the biosynthesis of plant secondary metabolites....
Smaller Mosquitoes Are More Likely To Be Infected With Viruses Causing Human Diseases
An entomologist says smaller mosquitoes are more likely to be infected with viruses that cause diseases in humans.
Polarized Light Guides Cholera-carrying Midges That Contaminate Water Supplies
Midges harbor the lethal Vibrio cholerae bacteria that spreads cholera, contaminating water supplies with the infection when they lay their eggs. What guides the midges to select particular watercourses when...
Research Sheds Light On Key Trigger Of Embryonic Stem Cell Differentiation
Clusters of mouse embryonic stem cells called embryoid bodies more closely approximate true embryos in organization and structure than previously thought, according to researchers at the Stanford University School of...
Plant Virus Spreads By Making Life Easy For Crop Pests
In 752, Japanese Empress Koken wrote a short poem about the summertime yellowing of a field in what is thought to be the first account of a viral plant disease....
DNA Provides 'Smoking Gun' In The Case Of The Missing Songbirds
DNA evidence shows conclusively that males from a North American warbler species interbred with females from a related species and took over a large part of the other species' range.
New Research Finds Markers For Esophageal Cancer Before It Develops
Researchers have identified genetic proteins, also known as biomarkers, capable of distinguishing changes at the microscopic level that can signal a precancerous condition in the esophagus. These markers may help...
Lizards, Birds Have Hair Genes
Hair has only ever been known to grow on mammals—but it's rooted in the claws of an ancient reptile, a new study says.
Study links genes to brain aneurysms
NEW HAVEN, Conn., Nov. 10 (UPI) -- A U.S.-led team of scientists has found three chromosome segments, or loci, where common genetic variations can create a significant risk...
Annuals converted into perennials
Annual crops grow, blossom and die within one year. Perennials overwinter and grow again the following year. The life strategy of many annuals consists of rapid growth following germination and...
HIV's disguises no match for 'bionic assassins'
HIV is a master of disguise, able to rapidly change its identity and hide undetected in infected cells. But now, in a long-standing collaborative research effort partially-funded by the Wellcome...
Feature: Mapping marijuana's DNA
Creating a national genetic database for cannabis is not only a first for Australian policing, but also for science.
'Assassin' cells home in on HIV
Scientists engineer cells in the lab to overcome one of HIV's most effective defence mechanisms.
World Vaccine Congress Washington 2009
Location: Washington, DC, United StatesStart Date: 13 April 2009End Date: 16 April 2009
Australasian Society for Stem Cell Research
Location: Brisbane, QLDStart Date: 16 November 2008End Date: 21 November 2008
Setbacks, controversy haven't stopped progress in 10 years of stem cell research
Ten years ago this month, human embryonic stem cells entered the popular vocabulary. The world hasn't been the same.
Incredible Deep-Sea Discoveries Announced
An astounding batch of new deep-sea discoveries, from strange shark behavior to gigantic bacteria.
Cholera outbreak threatens Congo refugee camp
(AP) -- Doctors are treating dozens of cholera cases at a refugee camp just outside Congo's eastern provincial capital of Goma.
Skin Deep: In Hard Times, a Cosmetic Hard Sell
Some doctors are eager to make a deal on Botox, and facial and body operations.
'Clean-up' bees could save endangered hives
Scientist hopes to reverse honeybee decline with genetically programmed 'hygienic' breeds to combat parasites
Bacteria Manage Perfume Oil Production From Grass
Scientists in Italy have found bacteria in the root of a tropical grass whose oils have been used in the cosmetic and perfumery industries.
Study: Bumblebees sniff out nectar
LONDON, Nov. 8 (UPI) -- Bumblebees are able to sniff out the flowers with the most pollen and then spread the word to other bees in their hive,...
Tale Of Two Snails Reveals Secrets About The Biochemistry Of Evolution
Researchers in Spain are reporting deep new insights into how evolution changes the biochemistry of living things, helping them to adapt to new environments. Their study, based on an analysis...
Hendra vaccine test holds promise
GEELONG, Australia, Nov. 7 (UPI) -- A Hendra virus vaccine is being tested on cats but it will be at least five years before its suitability for humans...