Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Researchers discover a gene that regulates and blocks ovulation
A group of Canadian and European researchers have unlocked the mystery of a gene with the potential to both regulate and block ovulation. The new study – a collaboration between...
Molecular Hula Hoop
Japanese researchers have observed the action of a nanorotor on the molecular scale. They were able to get "snapshots" of individual molecular rotors caught in motion.
Genetic Variant Increases Triglyceride Levels In Asian-Americans
A genetic variant found almost exclusively in individuals of Asian descent increases the risk of elevated plasma triglycerides over four-fold. In fact, all 11 subjects who carried both copies of...
Sex tells best diet, but not tastes
Male and female crickets do better with different diets, though they are genetically programmed to have the same compromised tastes, research found.
Virulence Factor That Induces Fatal Candida Infection Identified
Singapore scientists found that certain substances from bacteria living in the human intestine cause the normally harmless Candida albicans fungus to become highly infectious. Once in the infectious form, the...
Vaccine For Koala Chlamydia Close
Eighteen female koalas treated with an anti-chlamydia vaccine are showing positive results, giving scientists hope they have an answer to the disease that is threatening the survival of koalas in...
Genetics cracks fibre-optic problem
To track down interference in fiber-optic lines, researchers have tried a form of analysis normally used for identifying cancer subtypes - with great success.
Genetic variant makes Africans more vulnerable to HIV
A gene that once protected people of African descent from malaria is now making them more susceptible to HIV infection
Howard L. Bachrach, 88; virologist purified the polio and foot-and-mouth disease viruses
He was awarded the National Medal of Science in 1983 for his work in genetically engineered vaccines and other research. ...
'Survival zones' for butterflies
Ten areas of Scotland are identified as frontlines in the fight to save rare insects from extinction.
Hollywood apes being sent to sanctuary
Filmmakers looking for an ape may be left scratching their heads after Hollywood's sole supplier of orangutans decided to quit renting them out and will instead send his six to...
Scientist at Work | Edward O. Wilson: Taking a Cue From Ants on Evolution of Humans
Edward O. Wilson has become one of the world’s best-known biologists through his urge to create large syntheses of knowledge and his gift for writing.
Observatory: Not Just Any Water Will Do for Mosquitoes
Researchers have identified some of the chemical cues in water that determine where a mosquito will choose to lay its eggs.
Observatory: A New Way to Study How Muscles Work
Scientists have devised a less invasive way to look at the basic units of some types of muscle in action.
Efforts on 2 Fronts to Save a Population of Ferrets
A colony of black-footed ferrets that biologists say is critical to the long-term health of the species was recovering. Then came a plague.
Golden slumbers
Ariane Sherine: Science has confirmed a good sleep is crucial for brains to function. This is just the excuse we need
UPI NewsTrack Health and Science News
Scientist think they've found HIV weakness ... Unmanned flights give peek at melting ice ... Eggs of water-bound fleas get around ... Scientist study genetic variants and HIV ... Health/Science...
Spotted hyenas can increase survival rates by hunting alone
Recent research by Michigan State University doctoral student Jennifer Smith has shed new light on the way spotted hyenas live together and - more importantly - hunt for...
Blue Crab Blues: Seafood Business Drowning
It's an anxious summer for watermen harvesting the Chesapeake's best-loved seafood, the blue crab. The way some see it, the crabbing business here isn't just dying. It's already dead.
Eggs of water-bound fleas get around
LEUVEN , Belgium, July 16 (UPI) -- Scientists in Belgium say they've figured out how water fleas, unable to survive outside water, disperse eggs among ponds -- they...
Stinging Wasps Moving North Due to Warming?
The number of people seeking treatment for stings has been increasing in Alaska, especially in regions farther north than where insects such as wasps are common, a new report says.
Computer-watching monkeys in attention-grabbing test
Tiny changes in a messenger chemical in the brain acetylcholine can greatly affect powers of attention, according to a paper released on Wednesday by Nature, the London-based weekly journal.
Do birds have a good sense of smell?
The sense of smell might indeed be as important to birds as it is to fish or even mammals. This is the main conclusion of a study by Silke Steiger...
The Future of Babies: Artificial Wombs and Pregnant Grandmas
Artificial wombs and experiments on human embryos will be no big deal in 30 years.
Researchers map risk of arsenic contamination
Researchers have created maps highlighting areas at risk from groundwater arsenic contamination in South-East Asia and Bangladesh.
Gene test breeds pedigree abalone
Researchers have found a way to breed faster-growing abalone, using genetic testing to find individuals with the best genes.
"Monster" Lake's Rare Giants Lure Anglers, Biologists
Dog-eating catfish and other rare species are drawing fishers to a sport lake outside Bangkok -- and some conservationists couldn't be happier. With video.
Fishing ban brings seas to life
Five years without fishing around the UK's Lundy Island have led to revival of its lobsters and other sea life.