Latest science news in Biology & Nature
1/3 of reef-building corals face extinction
A third of reef-building corals around the world are threatened with extinction, according to the first-ever comprehensive global assessment to determine their conservation status. The study findings were published...
Birds migrate in dispersed flocks at night
CHAMPAIGN, Ill., July 9 (UPI) -- A U.S. study indicates birds don't fly alone when migrating at night but fly in tandem even when they are 650 feet...
Eight New Natural Wonders Named
Eight new natural wonders added to IUCN World Heritage List.
Japanese encephalitis finding announced
HARYANA, India, July 9 (UPI) -- India's National Brain Research Center says the Japanese encephalitis virus causes major brain damage by both killing cells and stopping new cell...
Types Of Genes Necessary For Brain Development Discovered
Researchers have successfully completed a full-genome RNAi screen in neurons, showing what types of genes are necessary for brain development.
Plan offered to rebuild panda habitat
BEIJING, July 8 (UPI) -- Rebuilding a major habitat for giant pandas destroyed by the devastating earthquake that struck China in May would cost about $290 million, planners...
Technique produces genetically identical stem cells
Cells from mice created using genetically reprogrammed cells can be triggered via drug administration to enter an embryonic-stem-cell-like state without the need for further direct genetic manipulation. read more
Giving Nature A Helping Hand
Dutch ecologist Marijke van Kuijk has studied the regeneration of the tropical forest in Vietnam. Abandoned agricultural land does regenerate to tropical forest, but only slowly. Two procedures are used...
Nepal refuge tiger population declines
WASHINGTON, July 7 (UPI) -- U.S. conservationists say they are alarmed by the dramatic decline in Bengal tigers in the Suklaphanta Wildlife Reserve in Nepal.
Scientists make unique synthetic molecule
COLUMBUS, Ohio, July 7 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they have produced synthetic molecules that can emulate enzyme behaviors.
Can Recycling Be Used To Treat Cancer?
We already know that recycling benefits our planet; and now new research suggests that the cellular version might be useful for battling cancer. Scientists have identified a molecule that uses...
African 'wall of trees' gets underway
Preparations are rife for Africa's 'Great Green Wall', a measure to prevent desertification, three years after it was first proposed.
Double gene inhibits testicles
A gene has been found that, when present as more than one copy, causes a disorder where people are born with incomple or ambiguous genitals.
Should Embryos With A Hereditary Disorder Be Transferred If No Unaffected Embryos Are Available?
The numbers of cycles of pre-implantation genetic diagnosis or screening are rising steadily in Europe with over 2,700 reported in 2004. Fertility centers are able to screen for a growing...
National Arboretum develops new lilacs
WASHINGTON, July 7 (UPI) -- The U.S. National Arboretum says it's developed and released three varieties of lilacs, a flowering bush with a storied role in U.S. history.
First DNA Molecule Made Almost Entirely Of Artificial Parts
Chemists in Japan report development of the world's first DNA molecule made almost entirely of artificial parts. The finding could lead to improvements in gene therapy, futuristic nano-sized computers, and...
Cancer therapies from the ocean?
Scientists from Aberdeen, Luxembourg and the South Pacific have studied the properties of natural products derived from animals found in Fijian waters, and shown that not only may certain compounds...
Male biological clock 'ticks too'
Scientists say they have found more evidence that men as well as women have biological clocks.
Study shows rise in Cornwall's dolphin, whale and porpoise deaths
Four weeks on from the shocking incident that led to the death of 26 dolphins near Falmouth, research sheds new light on the extent of the problems facing Cornwall's marine...
New Targets For RNAs That Regulate Genes Identified
Tiny strands of genetic material called RNA -- a chemical cousin of DNA -- are emerging as major players in gene regulation, the process inside cells that drives all biology...
Newly Identified Enzyme Treats Deadly Bacterial Infections In Mice
By the time antibiotics made their clinical debut 70 years ago, bacteria had long evolved strategies to shield themselves. For billions of years, bacteria hurled toxic molecules at each other...
Children Overestimate Cute Animals In Rainforests, While Underestimating Insects And Annelids
Researchers investigated children's perceptions of rainforest biodiversity by asking young museum visitors to draw their ideal rainforest, as part of a competition, and found that while children have a sophisticated...
Experts study bats' 'white-nose' problem
HARTFORD, Conn., July 6 (UPI) -- Wildlife biologists say they are trying to learn why bats in the Northeast United States are dying of what's being called "white-nose...
Want to fly? Don't copy the birds and the bees
Since earliest recorded history, and presumably beyond, humans have always wanted to fly. First attempts involved imitation of winged creatures around them, and unfailingly ended in disaster.
Bringing Stability To The Protein Defective In Phenylketonuria
Phenylketonuria is an inherited disease characterized by progressive mental retardation and seizures because the individual is deficient in the protein PAH. Most of the genetic mutations that cause PKU do...
Rare Plants And Endangered Species Such As Tigers At Risk From Traditional Medicine
Two reports from TRAFFIC, the world's largest wildlife trade monitoring network, on traditional medicine systems in Cambodia and Vietnam suggest that illegal wildlife trade, including entire tiger skeletons, and unsustainable...
Puzzle In The Control Of Cell Division Unraveled
A puzzle in the control of cell division, one of the most fundamental processes in all biology, has been unraveled. Although the steps of cell division are familiar to all...
To Multiply, Ant Colonies Adapt To Environmental Conditions
By combining field work in Australia with mathematical modeling, scientists have shown that the quality and quantity of winged queens produced by colonies of the Rhytidoponera ant vary according to...