Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Hairy Insects Use Bubble "Lungs" to Stay Underwater
Trapping a thin layer of air around their bodies allows some bugs to breathe underwater indefinitely, according to new research that describes how insects manage the feat.
Snakes killing more than birds in Guam
SEATTLE, Aug. 11 (UPI) -- Brown tree snakes have caused the extinction of native bird species in Guam and are changing the entire ecosystem of the island, biologists...
Damaged protein is removed from the liver
NEW YORK, Aug. 11 (UPI) -- U.S. biologists say they have created a method that, for the first time, can prevent the buildup of damaged protein in a...
Newly discovered molecular switch helps decide cell type in early embryo development
Researchers have discovered a central molecular switch in fruit fly embryos that opens new avenues for studying the causes of birth defects and cancer in humans. Writing about their study...
New bacterial species found in human mouth
LONDON, Aug. 11 (UPI) -- British scientists say they have discovered a new species of bacteria in the human mouth.
Study shows novelty changes bird brains
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J., Aug. 11 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they have measured changes in birds' brain cells and discovered the cells change as the birds are exposed...
Alkaloids produced by genetically engineered yeast
Ready access to complex compounds will allow pharmacological studies of potential painkillers.
Melanoma detection ineffective
Thick melanomas, the most dangerous kind of skin cancer, are not getting any rarer in New Zealand, nearly 15 years after early detection strategies were introduced.
Barbadians Slam Discovery, Naming of Tiny Snake
Barbadians criticized a U.S. scientist who announced his "discovery" of the world's smallest snake.
Losing the Yeti in Forgotten Nation of Bhutan
In a remote Himalayan kingdom many remember a time when the yeti was a normal part of life.
Cancer-inhibiting Compound Found Under The Sea
Researchers have discovered a marine compound off the coast of Key Largo that inhibits cancer cell growth in laboratory tests. Largazole, named for its Florida location and structural features, seeks...
Cougar's movements betrayed by claw analysis
Stable isotope analysis helps to retrace animal's steps.
US-bred Bengal tigers given to Baghdad zoo
Two rare Bengal tigers were presented to Baghdad's Al-Zawraa zoo on Friday by a private US conservation group, in a move deeply symbolic of American efforts to help restore the...
The ART of fertilizing eggs
In assisted reproductive technology, the eggs and sperm are handled outside the body ...
Gazans smuggle lions into zoo
The monkeys and lions were drugged, tossed into cloth sacks and dragged through smuggling tunnels before ending up in a dusty Gaza zoo.
Unlocking mystery of why dopamine freezes Parkinson's patients
Parkinson's disease and drug addiction are polar opposite diseases, but both depend upon dopamine in the brain. Parkinson's patients don't have enough of it; drug addicts get too much of...
Vanishing Animal Migrations Need Saving, Experts Say
Habitat destruction and climate change are making migrations increasingly difficult for many species, but it's not too late to bring these visually spectacular and environmentally critical mass movements back, according...
Distinguishing Between Two Birds Of A Feather
The bird enthusiast who chronicled the adventures of a flock of red-headed conures in his book "The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill" knows most of the parrots by name, yet...
Tumor Suppressor Inhibits Cell Growth
Researchers have described the mechanism by which p53 regulates cells and protects them against DNA damage that might lead to cancer. The study shows that two p53 target genes --...
Infrared heat: A new wavelength for food security
How do you prevent pathogens and other mobile pests like moths and weevils from contaminating the food supply? Infrared heat has been attracting attention as one technology that can kill...
RNA stops HIV in its tracks
Interfering RNA smuggled into immune cells stops the entry and spread of HIV
Tiny Invasive Snail Impacts Great Lakes, Alters Ecology
Long a problem in the western US, the New Zealand mud snail currently inhabits four of the five Great Lakes and is spreading into rivers and tributaries, according to researchers....
How Whales And Other Marine Mammals React To Sonar
Marine biologists have just completed a pioneering research effort in Hawaii to measure the biology and behavior of some of the most poorly understood whales on Earth. During the study,...
Yukon releases elk herd, free of invasive ticks, back into wild
After spending months in captivity, the Yukon's Takhini elk herd was set free Thursday by government biologists trying to curb the spread of an invasive tick infestation.
Freaky Fungi Glow in the Dark
In total, this night we discover 8 different species of luminescent mushrooms, more than is known from any single site anywhere in the world.
Deep mystery: why sea turtles plumb the depths
Researchers say they have figured out why sea turtles that normally feed and breed in shallow water or on land will, very rarely, go deep sea diving: the reptiles are...
Instant insight: The wonder of gold
Graham J. Hutchings, Mathias Brust and Hubert Schmidbaur introduce the newly discovered allure of gold
Snakeheads invade New York lake
WAWAYANDA, N.Y., Aug. 7 (UPI) -- Wildlife officials in New York ordered fish kills in Orange County to prevent the spread of invasive northern snakeheads.