Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Novel computational model describes the speed at which HIV escapes the immune response
Researchers from Utrecht University, The Netherlands, have developed a model that illustrates how HIV evades the immune system. The study, published July 18th in the open-access journal PLoS Computational Biology,...
Keeping Invasive Species Out Of The Great Lakes
The United States should follow Canada's lead and adopt standards identical to those proposed by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to prevent invasive species from entering the Great Lakes, says...
Incorrectly cleaved protein leads to schizophrenia
Researchers have discovered that a disturbed cleavage of the Nrg-1 protein lies at the basis of the development of the devastating disease schizophrenia. read more
Dioxin Risk In Sewage-sludge Used On Crops, Plant Tissue Grown On Contaminated Soil
Use of biosolids (treated municipal sewage sludge) on crops is a common practice because biosolids are a rich source of plant nutrients and organic matter. However, these biosolids can contain...
Cancer Metastasis: Cellular Decisions Predicted With Computer Program
A new method may help to develop new treatments against cancer metastasis. Scientists have simulated on the computer how cells decide whether or not to migrate. Using their results, the...
Protein mapped for drug design
Australian scientists have mapped the anatomy of a membrane protein, adding to the worldwide pool of mapped proteins that can be used to design new drugs.
Snakes' venom chemistry varies with age and location
Lancehead pitvipers give up their poisonous secrets in first 'venomics' study.
New Study Sheds Light On How Intracellular Pathogens Trigger The Immune System
Biologists have identified a molecular alarm system in which intracellular pathogens send out signals that kick the immune response into gear. The findings shed light on how host cells recognize...
DNA 'Palindromes' Linked To Disease
Long DNA sequences, or palindromes, change the shape of the molecule from double helix to hairpin-like formation, which causes replication to stall. Altered or stalled replication causes chromosomal breaking, resulting...
Young Tasmanian devils are getting busy
The little devils just can't wait. Faced with an epidemic of cancer that cuts their lives short, Tasmanian devils have begun breeding at younger ages, according to researchers.
Do mammals think in 3-D?
A team of neuroscientists at University College London (UCL) has begun to discover how the brain maps three-dimensional space. The work could one day aid in the understanding and treatment...
Keep It Growing -- Plant Fall and Winter Vegetables in July
(PhysOrg.com) -- In mild parts of western Oregon and along most of the coast, it is possible to grow a succession of garden vegetables throughout the year. You can extend...
A new look at how genes unfold to enable their expression
(PhysOrg.com) -- Cornell researchers have uncovered surprising new information about the process by which genes are unwrapped and exposed so that they can be expressed.
Wildlife trade convention opens
GENEVA, Switzerland, July 14 (UPI) -- Wildlife trade and resulting species decline are the topics at an international convention in Switzerland on endangered species of wildlife and native...
Bees Enlisted to Attack Crows in Tokyo
The birds and the bees are developing a new sort of relationship in Japan: scaring crows away from vulnerable seabirds' nesting site.
Glia guide brain development in worms
Again and again, experiments confirmed it. Without glia, neurons die. So scientists who wanted to study in living animals what glia — the most abundant brain cells — do for...
Diet and nutrient intake of Indigenous Australians poor
Indigenous Australians eat more white bread, processed meat, added butter and added sugar than the average Australian, and fall well short of national fruit and vegetable recommendations, according to new...
Seal oil shows promise for healthy heart, researcher says
Consumers taking fish oil capsules for a daily hit of omega-3 fatty acids should consider seal oil capsules instead, a St. John's researcher says.
Immunology: April Showers Bring Mucosal Antibody Secreting Cells Long Life
Antibodies are proteins that are a crucial component of the immune system. They are produced in large amounts by immune cells known as plasma cells, which live in just a...
Enzyme Key To 'Sister Act' That Maintains Genome Stability
Keeping the genome stable is a "sister act" of matched chromatids -- the pairs of the double helix DNA molecule that exist during the chromosome duplication in the S phase...
River Damming Leads To Dramatic Decline In Native Fish Numbers
Damming of the Colorado, alongside introduction of game fish species, has led to an extensive decline in numbers of native fish. Scientists have found that physical changes to the river...
Mystery disease threatens Fla. state tree
TAMPA, Fla., July 13 (UPI) -- Florida agricultural experts say they are working to learn more about a mysterious disease that is killing sabal palms -- the state...
Feature: In the eye of the dragonfly
Australian researchers are studying the amazing dragonfly in order to provide new insights into visual control of flight.
Dolphin with no tail fitted for new fin
CLEARWATER, Fla., July 13 (UPI) -- A dolphin at a Florida rescue center was sized up for a new prosthetic fin designed to allow her to swim with...
Understanding Hearing, Molecule By Molecule
Scientists have for the first time pieced together the three-dimensional structure of one of nature's most exquisite pieces of machinery, a gossamer-like filament of proteins in the inner ear that...
Skyscraper Run-Ups: What It Takes To Be An Extreme Athlete
Scientists have recently become interested in the biomechanics of a very unusual activity: skyscraper run-ups. Competitors in this extreme sport ascend the steps inside the world's tallest buildings, the winners...
Will Our Future Brains Be Smaller?
New research has shown that the evolutionary pressures arising from the older, faster, but less accurate, part of the brain may have shaped the more recent development of the slower-acting...
Skin Deep: Cancer-Specific Products: An Unnecessary Balm?
It’s now easier than ever for cancer patients (and their relatives who come bearing presents) to find skin-care lines made specially for them.