Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Study: Flies have noxious heat receptor
MYODAIJI, Japan, Oct. 8 (UPI) -- Japanese scientists say they have discovered the fruit fly drosophila has a receptor designed to identify noxious, or dangerous, heat.
Simple Twists Of Fate
A novel study in PLoS Biology reports on some of the molecular gymnastics performed by a protein involved in regulating DNA transcription. Using state-of-the art tools, researchers observed the shape...
Fishy future written in the genes
The roadmap to the future of the gorgeously-decorated fish which throng Australia's coral reefs and help earn the nation $5 billion a year from tourism may well be written in...
California bill to ban PFCs axed
Schwarzenegger vetoes perfluorocarbon legislation but signs off chemical oversight programme
DNA Tests Could Help Predict, Prevent Harmful Algal Blooms
DNA test could be used to detect harmful algal blooms across the globe, an article the International Journal of Environment and Pollution.
Use it or lose it? Researchers investigate the dispensability of our DNA
Our genome contains many genes encoding proteins that are similar to those of other organisms, suggesting evolutionary relationships; however, protein-coding genes account for only a small fraction the genome, and...
Poll: Few know what synbio or nanotech are
WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 (UPI) -- Scientists say a new survey finds nearly half of all U.S. adults know little or nothing about nanotechnology and nine in 10 never...
Entire Ecosystem Proposed For Protection
The government is taking a new, ecosystem-based approach to the endangered species list, proposing an all-at-once addition of 48 species that live only on the Hawaiian island of Kauai.
Colonising fish could save the reef
Researchers are studying the genetics of colourful coral fish, in order to identify which species could help re-colonise reefs damaged by global warming.
Your Brain Can Run on Alternative Energy
When the human body kicks into high gear, the brain can run on recycled, alternative energy.
"Fight or flight" hormone limits aggression: study
LONDON (Reuters) - Stress hormone cortisol, involved in our "fight or flight" response, may also limit aggressive antisocial behavior, British researchers said on Wednesday.
Urban Black Bears 'Live Fast, Die Young'
Black bears that live around urban areas weigh more, get pregnant at a younger age, and are more likely to die violent deaths, according to a study by the Wildlife...
New study on antioxidants shows mixed results for life extension
First the good news: a study by scientists at the Buck Institute for Age Research shows four common antioxidants extended lifespan in the nematode worm C. elegans. And the not...
Researchers create first model for retina receptors
A team of scientists at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center has created the first genetic research model for a microscopic part of the eye that when missing causes...
Direct recording shows brain signal persists even in dreamless sleep
Neuroscientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have taken one of the first direct looks at one of the human brain's most fundamental "foundations": a brain signal...
Embryo implantation offers insight into infertility
(PhysOrg.com) -- A process that governs embryo implantation in the womb in humans has been identified for the first time. The Oxford University research, published in the journal PNAS, could...
Scientists identify corn-forming gene
COLD SPRING HARBOR, N.Y., Sept. 30 (UPI) -- U.S. agricultural geneticists say they've identified a gene that's essential in controlling development of maize, a plant known in the...
Americans Clueless About Plans to Create New Life Forms
Synthetic biologists engineer and build or redesign living organisms.
Now it's tea: Unilever recalls some Lipton products, fearing melamine
Anglo-Dutch food giant Unilever said Tuesday it is recalling some of its Lipton-brand milk tea powder in Hong Kong and Macau after they were found to contain traces of an...
Scientist neutralizes nerve agents
COLLEGE STATION, Texas, Sept. 30 (UPI) -- U.S. chemist Frank Raushel says he's using a $1.2 million federal grant to develop an enzyme that might neutralize a type...
Discovering How Human-caused Sounds Affect Marine Mammals
Marine mammal specialists consider the research needed to assess the effects of anthropogenic sound upon marine mammals. Marine mammals are an important component in the food-chain of the marine biotope....
Small island states must lead by example
Small island developing states should set an example by promoting a clean energy environment, says Tom Roper.
Broad Institute Awarded Major Grant to Bolster Epigenomics Research
Researchers at the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT received a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to map the epigenomes of a variety of medically important cell...
AkzoNobel, DSM Reap Fruits Of Restructuring
Heads of the Dutch companies make the case for the wisdom of their efforts and promise bright futures
Wildlife photography
Steven Kazlowski has been five centimetres from a polar bear's face, has been woken by a young bear that crashed into his tent and tapped his head curiously, has been...
Penicillin bug genome unravelled
Researchers decode the DNA sequence of the fungus which produces penicillin, ahead of the 80th anniversary of its discovery.
Brazil government 'worst logger'
Brazil's Environment Ministry lists 100 of the worst illegal loggers - and names a government department as number one.
First Dinosaur Feathers for Show, Not Flight?
A new pigeon-size species found in Mongolia had long, ribbon-like tail feathers that suggest plumage first evolved for ornamentation rather than for flight, scientists say.