Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Discovery of natural compounds that could slow blood vessel growth
Using computer models and live cell experiments, biomedical engineers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have discovered more than 100 human protein fragments that can slow or stop...
Epstein-Barr Virus Protein Contributes To Cancer
Researchers have shown that the EBNA1 protein of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) disrupts structures in the nucleus of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cells, thereby interfering with cellular processes that normally prevent cancer...
Traits Produced By Melanin May Signal The Bearer's Capacity To Combat Free Radicals
Some animal species have developed conspicuous traits produced by melanin pigments (for instance, dark manes in lions, black stripes in some birds and fishes). These traits are used as signals...
DNA Of Good Bacteria Drives Intestinal Response To Infection
A new study shows that the DNA of so-called "good bacteria" that normally live in the intestines may help defend the body against infection.
Obesity Clue: Newly Identified Cells Make Fat
The discovery of an important fat precursor cell may explain how changes in the numbers of fat cells might increase and lead to obesity.
Singing To Females Makes Male Birds' Brains Happy
The melodious singing of birds has been long appreciated by humans, and has often been thought to reflect a particularly positive emotional state of the singer. Researchers in Japan have...
Eagles "Cannibalizing" Other Birds as Otters Disappear
Some bald eagles are turning to seabirds as their main food, and in a roundabout way, the new diet is traceable to a 1990s otter collapse, researchers say.
Beetles get by with a little help from their friends
Humans living in communities often rely on friends to help get what they need and, according to researchers in the lab of Cameron Currie at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, many...
Scientists identify a molecule that coordinates the movement of cells
Even cells commute. To get from their birthplace to their work site, they sequentially attach to and detach from an elaborate track of exceptionally strong proteins known as the extracellular...
Growing Role Of Molecular Diagnostics
Novel platform technologies and key advances in genomics are rapidly driving the development of molecular diagnostics, reports Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News. The payoff for successful molecular diagnostic products can...
Captive-bred rhinos freed in Kenya
NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct. 3 (UPI) -- The threatened black rhinoceros population in Kenya has received a boost as several captive-bred rhinos have been released into the wild, experts...
Chemical 'orienteering': how accurately can cells follow a chemical trail to find their way around?
(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists have long known that single-cell organisms find their way around by detecting chemicals in their surroundings. Now new research out this week in the Proceedings of the...
Chicken soup for stressed-out pandas
The Wuhan Zoo in central China has been feeding its two pandas home-cooked chicken soup twice in a month to reduce stress and give them a nutritional boost, a zoo...
VIDEO: Battling Bee-Killing Parasite
Australia is one of the only major beekeeping countries free of a parasitic mite that is killing bees throughout the world. The battle is on to prevent an infestation.
First glimpse of a key DNA repair protein at work
Repairing breaks in the two strands of the DNA double helix is critical for avoiding cancer. In humans and other organisms, a molecular machine called the MRN complex is responsible...
Why your boss is white, middle-class and a show-off
The way male managers power dress, posture and exercise power is due to humans' evolutionary biology, according to research from the University of New South Wales (UNSW).
Which came first, the nanotube or the egg?
Egg whites have found a novel use as a template for making inorganic nanotubes, thanks to Chinese scientists.
So-called 'sandfish' could help materials handling and process technology specialists
It moves as quickly in sand as a fish moves through water, which is why this lizard, a species of skink (Scincus scincus) that grows to about 15 cm long...
Bacteria Think Ahead
Bacteria may be humble single-celled creatures, but they're sophisticated enough to anticipate regular events.
Gut Reaction: Digestion Revealed in 3-D
A study of nutrient transport and macro-micro mixing in the small intestine is going 3-D.
Malawi joins Africa-wide science and development survey
Malawi has signed up to contribute to an Africa-wide initiative to gauge the impact of science on development.
New Sony Reader has light, note-taking stylus
(AP) -- Sony Corp. unveiled a new e-book reader Thursday with a built-in light and a touch-sensitive display, features that set it apart from Amazon.com Inc.'s competing Kindle reader.
Olfactory Bulb Glial Cell Transplant Preserves Muscles In Paraplegic Rats
Researchers have analysed the degree of preservation in the skeletal muscles of paraplegic rats treated with a transplant of Olfactory bulb glial cells (OBG). Pioneering research established that while nerve...
Stripper science earns frivolous fame
The 2008 Ig Nobel laureates include researchers who studied the spermicidal properties of cola drinks, as well as psychologists who found a link between exotic dancers' fertility and their earnings.
Illegal Mexican Parrot Trade Targeted by New Ban
A newly announced ban on all parrot sales in Mexico may keep the country's exotic birds from dying during clandestine smuggling operations, conservationists say.
A Giant Leap for Wheat Genome
Researchers make significant progress toward sequencing highly complex crop
Female birds sacrifice health to create more colourful eggs
Bright blue eggs keep males keen on fatherhood.
Showgoers viewing fare on screen, not stage
(AP) -- As the house lights dim and the maestro lifts his arms, a hush comes over the crowd. It's opening night at The Metropolitan Opera - only we're...