Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Worm Genome Offers Clues to Evolution of Parasitism
The genome of a humble worm that dines on the microbial organisms covering the carcasses of dead beetles may provide clues to the evolution of parasitic worms, including those that...
UPI NewsTrack Health and Science News
Two space shuttles at their launch pads … Type 1 diabetes: Good genes acting badly? … Solar wind plasma output at 50-year low … Labrador retriever disease gene is found...
Type 1 diabetes: Good genes acting badly?
STANFORD, Calif., Sept. 23 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they've determined type 1 diabetes might not be due to bad genes, but rather to good genes behaving badly.
Variant Of Vitamin D Receptor Gene Linked To Melanoma Risk
A new analysis indicates an association between a gene involved in vitamin D metabolism and skin cancer.
Reef census a good precaution
A census of marine life is finding and cataloguing hundreds of species, partly so the normal lives of the creatures are known in case the ecosystem is disrupted.
Ancient reef discovered in outback
Australian scientists have discovered a 650 million year old giant coral reef that could possibly contain the earliest examples of primitive life - in outback South Australia.
Scientists Trace Extensive Networks Regulating Alternative RNA Splicing
Scientists have succeeded in tracing intricate biochemical networks involving a class of proteins that enable genes to express themselves in specific tissues at particular moments in development.
Using Novel Tool, Researchers Dig Through Cell 'Trash' And Find Treasure
A person's trash can reveal valuable information, as detectives, historians and identity thieves well know. Likewise, a cell's "trash" may yield certain treasures, researchers have found. Using a new technique,...
Cancer-causing Gut Bacteria Exposed
Normal gut bacteria are thought to be involved in colon cancer but the exact mechanisms have remained unknown. Now, scientists have discovered that a molecule produced by a common gut...
Genetic Link Between Immune And Nerve Systems Found
Researchers have discovered genetic links between the nervous system and the immune system in a well-studied worm, and the findings could illuminate new approaches to human therapies.
Balancing act builds strength, flexibility
If you're familiar with the classic yoga pose called "downward facing dog," try this variation for more of a challenge. It develops flexibility in your legs while strengthening your core...
New Clock Tells Time, But Evokes Mortality
Most clocks just tell time. Not the newly unveiled clock at Corpus Christi College in Cambridge, which aims to disorient and dazzle, to remind people of their own mortality and...
hefA plays an important role in multidrug resistance of Helicobacter pylori
Three RND efflux systems had been identified in H pylori, namely hefABC, hefDEF, and hefGHI, each of which consisted of a translocase, an accessory protein. But the contribution of efflux...
Gene for grape colour discovered
A CSIRO research team has pinpointed the genetic difference between red (or black) and white grapes – a discovery which could lead to the production of new varieties of grapes...
Satellites keep eye on coral bleaching
A new tool has been developed which provides daily updates of the risk of ‘coral bleaching’ in the Great Barrier Reef and other reefs in the Coral Sea.
Rare marsupial on the run for love
An endangered mouse-like marsupial from central Australia has been found to run more than 30 kilometres in one day while in heat.
Frog finds its feet after deep sleep
A rare Australian frog that burrows underground for a summer siesta resurfaces more than nine months later in just as good a shape as before its rest, according to UQ...
World's common birds 'declining'
The populations of the world's common birds are declining as a result of continued habitat loss, a global assessment warns.
Stem cells may repair nerve damage in ears
MELBOURNE, Sept. 21 (UPI) -- An Australian researcher says she is attempting to use stem cells to repair damaged nerves related to hearing problems such as deafness.
A case of false positive octreoscan in Crohn's disease
Neuroendocrine tumors, such as carcinoid tumors, overexpress somatostatin receptors in their membranes. Octreotide is an analogue whose molecule is a shortened version of somatostatin's with a high affinity for these...
Fires regenerate African grassland
Natural grass fires are evidently more important for the ecology of savannahs than has previously been assumed. This is the finding of a study carried out in Etosha National Park...
Letters: Must science and religion be polarised?
The big issue, letters: Many might accept established scientific facts but are aware of the limits of scientific knowledge
Prosthetic Vein Valve Designed To Direct Blood Flow Shows Promising Pre-clinical Results
Engineers have developed a prosthetic vein valve to help improve the lives of those suffering from a condition known as chronic venous insufficiency. The valve was designed to replace damaged,...
Ship-induced Waves Affect Snails, Crabs And Insect Larvae In Sandy Lakes And Rivers
Snails, crabs, insect larvae - the shores of rivers and lakes are populated by thousands of small animals that play an important role in the food chain of the freshwater...
More convenient and helpful for colitis patients? An absorption enhancer may do
Previous studies have shown the beneficial effect of rebamipide, a novel anti-ulcer drug, on experimental colitis. The permeabilities of rebamipide in different intestinal segments remained unknown.
Size Tradeoff: Horns vs. Copulatory Organs
The way organs grow affects the way species evolve.
Project To Turn Plant Cells Into Medical Factories
A large four-year project is launching in Europe to develop methods for production of valuable pharmaceutical compounds using plant cells as a production host in an effective and controlled manner....
Conservation Program In Rwanda Helps Turn Gorilla Poachers Into Ecotourism Guides
Conservationists at the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE), University of Kent, are celebrating a double achievement – the success of a conservation program in Rwanda that has helped...