Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Calorie restriction: Scientists take important step toward 'fountain of youth'
Going back for a second dessert after your holiday meal might not be the best strategy for living a long, cancer-free life say researchers. That's because they've shown exactly how...
Chicago Cancer Genome Project studies genetics of 1,000 tumors
A Chicago research team is one year into a three-year project to collect and analyze the genetic sequence and variations of every gene expressed by 1,000 tumors with a long-term...
Hatchery-raised salmon too crowded
Every year, large numbers of hatchery-raised young salmonids are released into Swedish rivers and streams to compensate for losses in natural production. Butthese fish generally survive poorly in the wild....
Cause of nonallergic itch identified
Scratching below the surface of a troublesome sensation that's equal parts tingle-tickle-prickle, sensory scientists have discovered in mice a molecular basis for nonallergic itch.
Web glue key among 'green' adhesives
LARAMIE, Wyo., Dec. 24 (UPI) -- A sticky compound in spider webs could lead to the development of a new generation of non-petroleum adhesives and glues, scientists in Wyoming...
Compound controls fungal infections
SYRACUSE, N.Y., Dec. 23 (UPI) -- Scientists in New York say they're seeking a patent for a compound that could control fungal infections afflicting nearly 25,000 U.S. residents a...
Silicone-treated wool shrinks less
BEIJING, Dec. 23 (UPI) -- Wool fibers coated with silica nano particles resist wrinkling and shrinking, researchers at China's Academy of Science have learned.
It's Not the Heat, It's the Mutivity
Researchers are investigating whether viruses that have adapted to higher temperatures - similar to increases due to global warming - can jump species more easily. Their results could shed light...
Brain controls formation of bone, researchers find
The brain acts as a profound regulatory center, controlling myriad processes throughout the body in ways we are only just beginning to understand. In new findings, Australian scientists have shown...
Altering malignant cells' structure said to possibly slow spread of cancer
Cancer may spread throughout the human body when malignant cells travel in the blood stream. But it may be possible to slow or even stop those cells from spreading by...
U of A led team makes breakthrough demonstration of pH-regulating protein
Researchers have identified the protein mechanism that senses bicarbonate fluctuations and adjusts blood pH levels. A Canadian/U.S. research team led by University of Alberta biological sciences professor, Greg Goss and...
New human reproductive hormone could lead to novel contraceptives
Nearly 10 years after the discovery that birds make a hormone that suppresses reproduction, University of California, Berkeley, neuroscientists have established that humans make it too, opening the door to...
Got smell?
As anyone suffering through a head cold knows, food tastes wrong when the nose is clogged, an experience that leads many to conclude that the sense of taste operates normally...
Protein link may be key to new treatment for aggressive brain tumour
Biomedical researchers at the University of Central Florida have found a protein that could hold the key to treating one of the most common and aggressive brain tumours in adults...
Housing growth near national parks may limit conservation value
The growth of housing near national parks, national forests and wilderness areas within the United States may limit the conservation value that these protected areas were designed to create in...
Mystery solved: Scientists now know how smallpox kills
A team of researchers working in a high containment laboratory at the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, GA, have solved a fundamental mystery about smallpox that has...
New insight in nerve cell communication
New nano research gives important insights in nerve cell communication that will help the fight against nerve pain following amputation and diabetes. Researchers have studied, with nanotechnology techniques, the way...
Wildlife trade threatens southeast Asia's rare species
Nations need to improve monitoring of effects on populations.
Seeing how evolutionary mechanisms yield biological diversity
An international team of scientists has discovered how changes in both gene expression and gene sequence led to the diversity of visual systems in African cichlid fish.
Fish fatty acids don`t make you cleverer or happier
(PhysOrg.com) -- A diet rich in fish fatty acids has no effect on cognitive functions such as memory and concentration in the elderly. Nor does it affect their level of...
Microscopic flower petal ridges flash to attract pollinating insects; scientists now know how ridges form
Microscopic ridges contouring the surface of flower petals might play a role in flashing that come-hither look pollinating insects can't resist. Scientists now have figured out how those form. The...
New study finds catch shares improve consistency, not health, of fisheries
Catch share programs result in more consistent and predictable fisheries but do not necessarily improve ecological conditions, according to a new study published online this week by the journal Proceedings...
Adding a genetic supertool
To identify the hemophilia mutation that affected Queen Victoria and her European relatives, scientific detectives used a cutting-edge "deep sequencing tool." Able to trace rare genetic disease mutations, the...
Anti-Hunger Smells Could Battle Obesity
Molecules that make up a food's aroma can also activate areas of the brain that trigger the feeling of fullness.
Mexico's conch shells yield clues into effects of warming
Divers plumb the turquoise depths of ocean waters some 100 kilometers south of this vacation paradise, in search of the distinctive queen conch shell prized by vacationers and souvenir-seekers.
How a barnacle became toxic to repel its predators
One species of barnacle has extraordinarily high levels of bromine in its body, becoming toxic in a bid to repel predators.
Study shows immune system protein involved in reprogramming adult cells to express stem cell genes
(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists have discovered a protein required to quickly and efficiently reprogram human skin cells to express embryonic stem cell genes.
Africa Analysis: A level playing field for biodiversity
To meet new biodiversity targets, African countries must plug science gaps and align goals with climate deals, says Linda Nordling.