Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Zoo animals also victims of tainted milk crisis
China's milk crisis apparently has spread to animals, with a lion cub, two baby orangutans and two adult gorillas developing kidney stones at zoos in China.
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...
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.
Revealing The Regulating Mechanism Behind Signal Transduction In The Brain
Our brain consists of billions of cells that continually transmit signals to each other. This dynamic process works only when the brain cells make contact correctly, or, in other words,...
Different Stem Cell Types Defined By Exclusive Combinations Of Genes Working Together
In the new issue of Cell Stem Cell, scientists report that the same transcription factor, which is crucial for the survival of different stem cell types, can behave differently. This...
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.
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...
Chimps Prefer Cooked Food
Chimpanzees clearly preferred cooked carrots, sweet potatoes, and beef over the raw alternatives.
Reel Science: Igor
To bring their characters to life on the big screen, movie animators have been known to devote endless hours observing the idiosyncrasies of their subjects
Bees can mediate the escape of genetically engineered material over several kilometres
A study by scientists from the Nairobi-headquartered international research centre icipe, in collaboration with the French Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD) has established that bees have the potential...
From one laying to another the female collembolan adapts its eggs to environmental constraints
Reproductive plasticity - the ability of individuals to modify their reproduction and the characteristics of their progeny according to environmental or social conditions - is a crucial factor...
Chemical conversion made twice as green
Photochemical reactions in supercritical fluids hold promise for green industrial processes
Filling the antibiotic gap
Two new targets offer new lines of attack in the battle against drug-resistant strains of bacteria
Spinach protects against skin cancer
Researchers report that healthier eating habits may help protect against skin cancer, by including more spinach and other green leafy vegetables in the diet.
Clear vision on fishy behaviour
Observation of fish behaviour in murky water is now possible, thanks to the dual frequency identification sonar camera, known as a DIDSON.
Accident prone adventuring
Outdoor adventures are ending in injury for thousands of thrill seekers in New Zealand every year.
Stem rust back on the rise
Australian wheat growers have been warned that one of the world’s most devastating diseases of wheat, stem rust, “is back”.
Pets disappoint, end in pound
Why is it that every year in Australia around 400,000 cats and dogs are surrendered to animal shelters or pounds?
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...
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