Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Researcher grows roots on upper part of plant
The molecular cell biologist Pankaj Dhonukshe from Utrecht University has succeeded in growing roots on plants at places where normally leaves would grow. This important step in plant modification can...
Study shows how antibiotic kills bacteria
COLUMBUS, Ohio, Oct. 27 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they've have determined how a specific antibiotic halts bacterial growth.
Blue Bananas Surprise Scientists
Products of chlorophyll breakdown make ripening bananas glow blue under black lights.
Engineers Build First-ever Multi-input 'Plug-and-play' Synthetic RNA Device
Engineers have created a "plug-and-play" synthetic RNA device -- a sort of eminently customizable biological computer -- that is capable of taking in and responding to more than one biological...
Human protein atlas will help pinpoint disease
Researchers in Sweden are compiling a remarkable 'atlas' that pinpoints the location of thousands of individual proteins in the body's tissues and cells which will give scientists important insights into...
Scientists discover bacteria that can cause bone infections
Scientists have discovered that a bone infection is caused by a newly described species of bacteria that is related to the tuberculosis pathogen. The discovery may help improve the diagnosis...
Genetic Switch Critical For Cell Survival In Hypoxia Identified
Researchers have identified a critical metabolic "switch" in fruit flies that helps oxygen-deprived cells survive.
Gene Mutation Protects Against Obesity And Diabetes
Scientists have identified a natural mutation in the Tbc1d1 gene that keeps mice lean and also protects against diabetes despite a high-fat diet. The researchers were thus able to gain...
Government Declares Beluga Whale Endangered
The beluga whales of Alaska's Cook Inlet are endangered and require additional protection.
Take 30 Seconds to Save Sea Turtles
I don't usually go for advocacy, but I can't believe that the Bahamas allow sea turtle fishing. Go to Oceana's website and sign up to help convince the Bahamian government...
Better beer: college team creating anticancer brew
College students often spend their free time thinking about beer, but a group of Rice University students are taking it to the next level. They're using genetic engineering to create...
Brain signals predict weight gain
The brain's response to a chocolate milkshake may predict future weight gain, US researchers show.
Human Microbiome Consortium To Investigate Role Of Microbes In Human Health And Disease
Scientists from around the globe have formed the International Human Microbiome Consortium, an effort that will enable researchers to characterize the relationship of the human microbiome in the maintenance of...
'Leggy blonde' pregnant with calf
An Asian elephant becomes the first in the UK to become pregnant by artificial insemination.
Mechanical Pressure Accelerates Early Stages Of Colon Cancer
Genes are not the be all and end all of carcinogenesis. Scientists have shown that mechanical pressure can alter gene expression, and in particular activate the oncogenes(1) Myc and Twist,...
Study finds value in 'junk' DNA
For about 15 years, scientists have known that certain "junk" DNA -- repetitive DNA segments previously thought to have no function -- could evolve into exons, which are the building...
CPR study suggests 'Stayin Alive' lives up to name
CHICAGO (AP) -- "Stayin' Alive" might be more true to its name than the Bee Gees ever could have guessed: At 103 beats per minute, the...
Neuroscientist Finds Transplanted Hand-to-brain Mapping 35 Years After Loss Of Limb
Four months after a successful hand transplant -- 35 years after amputation in an industrial accident at age 19 -- a 54-year-old man's emerging sense of touch is registered in...
UPI NewsTrack Health and Science News
Life may stem from volcanic eruptions … FDA OKs Raptiva drug labeling changes … Global warming threatens kangaroos … Scientists control proteins using light ... Health/Science news from UPI.
Stem Cells From Testicles Show Promise
Cells taken from men's testicles seem as versatile as the stem cells derived from embryos, researchers reported in what may be yet another new approach in a burgeoning scientific field.
'Xmas tree' protein protects stomach
A protein that looks like a Christmas tree could protect the stomach against precursors of gastric cancer and ulcers, researchers have found.
Novel Genetic Screens Provide Panoramic Views Of Cellular Systems
Researchers often use the technique of RNA interference to identify genes involved in particular biological processes by knocking them down, one at a time, and observing the result. But this...
Bio-Computer Created Inside Living Cell
A newly developed RNA "device" allows scientists to "program" molecules to directly interact with cells.
Border Control: How Proteins Permit Entry To A Cell
The means by which proteins provide a 'border control' service, allowing cells to take up chemicals and substances from their surroundings, whilst keeping others out, is revealed in unprecedented molecular...
Primordial soup lives again
Newly analyzed vials hosted contents of an experiment testing whether life could originate in a volcano’s local environment.
Bacteria do Boolean logic
A team engineers microbes to perform AND, OR, NAND and NOR logic operations
Could Dr. House Be Replaced By A Computer?
Computer scientists are cracking the code on the metabolism of human diseases. Scientists know that different normal and diseased tissues behave differently. But a method that tells them just how...
Origin-Of-Life Chemistry Revisited
Reanalysis of famous spark-discharge experiments reveals a richer collection of amino acids were formed