Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Sandia work shows anthrax letters contained non-weaponized pathogen
They have worked for almost seven years in secret. Most people did not know that the work in Ray Goehner’s materials characterization department at Sandia National Laboratories was contributing important...
Anti-tumor Effects Are Enhanced By Inhibiting Two Pathways Rather Than One
Two independent research groups have found that simultaneous inhibition of two signaling pathways -- mTOR and MAPK signaling pathways -- results in substantially enhanced antitumor effects when compared with inhibition...
Malaria researchers identify new mosquito virus
Anopheles gambiae mosquito infected with GFP-expressing AgDNV. Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health's Malaria Research Institute have identified a previously unknown virus that is infectious to...
Face transplant 'double success'
Successful results from face transplants will speed progress towards more operations, say experts.
Relearning process not always a 'free lunch'
Researchers at Sheffield University and the University of St. Andrews, United Kingdom, have helped determine why relearning a few pieces of information may or may not easily cause a recollection...
Coatings To Help Medical Implants Connect With Neurons
Plastic coatings could someday help neural implants treat conditions as diverse as Parkinson's disease and macular degeneration. The coatings encourage neurons in the body to grow and connect with the...
Pinpointing Alzheimer's Structures
MIT engineers report a new approach to identifying protein structures key to Alzheimer's disease, an important step toward the development of new drugs that could prevent such structures from forming.
Manes, Trains And Antlers Explained: How Showy Male Traits Evolved
For Charles Darwin, the problem of the peacock's tail, in light of his theory of natural selection, was vexing in the extreme. A team of Wisconsin scientists has turned from...
Genetics Reveals Big Fish That Almost Got Away
A new species of fish has been discovered -- a grouper that reaches more than six feet in length and can weigh nearly 1,000 pounds. This newly discovered species can...
Accumulated Bits Of A Cell's Own DNA Can Trigger Autoimmune Disease
A security system wired within every cell to detect the presence of rogue viral DNA can sometimes go awry, triggering an autoimmune response to single-stranded bits of the cell's own...
Lettuce, spinach can be zapped with radiation to kill germs: U.S. ruling
American food producers will soon be allowed to expose fresh spinach and iceberg lettuce with low levels of radiation in order to kill E. coli and other potentially dangerous germs.
Exploding Chromosomes Fuel Research About Evolution Of Genetic Storage
Research into single-celled, aquatic algae called dinoflagellates is showing that these and related organisms may have evolved more than one way to tightly back their DNA into chromsomes. Even so,...
Some Cells Self-destruct For The Greater Common Good
Individual cells in a population of bacteria can sacrifice their lives for others to achieve a greater common good. Published in the scientific publication Nature, ETH Zurich biologists have described...
Mammals Have "Alarm Detectors" in Noses
All mammals—including humans—likely have tiny sensors at the tip of their noses that pick up chemical warnings sent by fellow animals in distress, a mouse study says.
Researcher converts biodiesel-waste glycerol into omega-3 fatty acids
The typical American diet often lacks omega-3 fatty acids despite clinical research that shows their potential human health benefits. Zhiyou Wen, assistant professor of biological systems engineering in Virginia Tech's...
Listeria FAQs
The bacterium Listeria monocytogenes, commonly referred to as listeria, is found in soil, vegetation, sewage, water and the feces of animals and humans.
Yves Rossy makes second jet-powered flight
Yves Rossy's bid to fly across the English Channel strapped to a jet-powered wing moved a step closer yesterday with a successful 36km test flight
MRI used to locate, track specific cells
PITTSBURGH, Aug. 21 (UPI) -- U.S. medical scientists have created a technology that uses magnetic resonance imaging to locate and track specific cells in a living body.
Skin cancer’s unique smell mapped
Odour profile could lead to hand-held cancer ‘sniff test’
Scientists link evolution to the ribosome
CHAMPAIGN, Ill., Aug. 21 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say new analyses of cellular structures for making proteins -- the ribosome -- are consistent with a theory of life's...
New virus threatens High Plains wheat crop
Triticum mosaic virus poses a new threat to Texas wheat, according to Texas AgriLife Research scientists in Amarillo.
Elephants have a head for figures
The animals can add small numbers of apples in order to get their trunks on a bigger food prize
Novel equipment advances protein studies
CHAMPAIGN, Ill., Aug. 21 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists are using custom-built spectrometers and other novel assets to better understand the form and function of certain proteins in the...
Rare leopards found in Borneo forest: researcher
A new population of rare leopard has been found living in thick forests on the Indonesian half of Borneo island, a researcher said Thursday.
New Zealand's colossal squid defies legends: scientists
New Zealand's mysterious colossal squid, the largest of the feared and legendary species ever caught, was not the T-Rex of the oceans but a lethargic blob, new research suggests.
Indiana ramps up its control efforts against kudzu
(AP) -- A fast-growing vine that's left parts of Indiana beneath tangles of greenery is coming under assault as the state ramps up its efforts to kill the leafy...
Six key species get woodland aid
A programme is launched to help create a brighter future for six different woodland species.
Red tide threatens marine animals
MONTREAL, Aug. 20 (UPI) -- Scientists say they believe a huge swath of red algae in the St. Lawrence River is killing marine mammals, including the threatened beluga...