Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Attitudes Toward Consumption And Conservation Of Tigers In China
The potential market for tiger products in China is enormous, but a vast majority of the Chinese public would rather have wild tigers than tiger-bone wine, according to new research.
Big haul of Crohn's genes shows disease complexity
LONDON (Reuters) - Scientists have linked 32 genetic variations to Crohn's disease, a bowel disorder, highlighting the complexity of many common diseases and the difficulties facing researchers seeking treatments.
Homosexual behaviour due to genetics and environmental factors
Homosexual behaviour is largely shaped by genetics and random environmental factors, according to findings from the world`s largest study of twins.
The 21st century tomato
When tomatoes ripen in our gardens, we watch them turn gradually from hard, green globules to brightly colored, aromatic, and tasty fruits. This familiar and seemingly commonplace transformation masks...
Drought tolerance in potatoes
Climate change is expected to exacerbate drought events throughout the world, resulting in large-scale ecosystem alteration and failure of drought-sensitive crops. In addition, periods of drought vary from year...
New Probe May Help Untangle Cells' Signaling Pathways
Researchers have designed a new type of probe that can image thousands of interactions between proteins inside a living cell, giving them a tool to untangle the web of signaling...
Bacteria In Extremely Hostile Environments: New Protein Discovered That Repairs DNA Under Extreme Conditions
Mild environmental conditions are a prerequisite for life. Strong acids or dissolved metallic salts in high concentrations are detrimental to both humans and to simpler life forms, such as bacteria....
Whales Set To Chase Shrinking Feed Zones
Endangered migratory whales will be faced with shrinking crucial Antarctic foraging zones which will contain less food and will be further away, a new analysis of the impacts of climate...
Shiitake Mushrooms May Improve Human Immune Function, Especially If Grown On Old Oak Logs
Shiitake (Lentinula edodes) mushrooms are good for you--and shiitake byproducts can be good for other crops. These mushrooms contain high-molecular-weight polysaccharides (HMWP), which some studies suggest may improve human immune...
Protecting Romaine Lettuce From Pathogens
Knowing the preferences of foodborne pathogens such as Escherichia coli O157:H7 is essential to a successful counterattack on these microbes. That's why microbiologists are scrutinizing the little-understood ability of E....
New Silverleaf Whitefly Resistant To Many Pesticides
A devastating tropical and subtropical pest that's already considered one of the world's top invasive species just got a bit more troublesome. The silverleaf whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) threatens a wide...
Genome Communication: Alleles Of Homologous Genes Can Silence One Another
The exact mechanisms of how genes talk to other genes and change their behavior are being investigated, and recent results suggest that these processes could be important in engineering plants...
The Good And The Bad Of A Potential Alzheimer's Target
Research in fruit flies has shown that enhancing the production of a protein called neprilysin can reduce the formation of plaques and neuron death associated with Alzheimer's, at the expense...
Mechanism And Function Of Humor Identified By New Evolutionary Theory
The pattern recognition theory of humor is an evolutionary and cognitive explanation of how and why any individual finds anything funny. Effectively it explains that humor occurs when the brain...
Discovery Of Lyme Disease Bug Clone May Explain Disease Spread
Scientists have discovered that a certain clone of Borrelia burgdorferi, the spirochete that causes Lyme disease, appears to be the most common strain causing Lyme disease in North America and...
Passports for penguins
New technology will let biologists identify and monitor large numbers of endangered animals, from butterflies to whales, without capturing them. read more
Mate Choice In Plants
Understanding the molecular mechanisms of pollen recognition is important for designing novel plant breeding systems as well as ensuring safeguards against unwanted pollination by genetically modified crops.
The 21st Century Tomato
The revolution in genomics, with a wealth of data emerging from sequencing and simultaneous expression analysis of thousands of genes, has made it possible to study the numerous pathways and...
Continental plan to protect the monarch's migratory journey
Canada, Mexico and the United States are joining forces to protect and conserve the Monarch butterfly, which has become a symbol of North America's shared environment.
Fake virus could make safe new vaccines
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A "wimpy" artificial virus protected mice against polio, and the approach might be used to make a range of safer new vaccines against viruses, U.S. researchers reported...
What's Behind the Crazy Shapes of Fruits and Vegetables
Crop scientists at Ohio State University have cloned a gene that controls the shape of tomatoes.
Tainted Tomato Toll Tops 750
U.S. health officials still scouring farms in Mexico, Florida as source of salmonella contamination
Climate change forces plants higher: study
LONDON (Reuters) - Rising temperatures have forced many plants to creep to higher elevations to survive, researchers reported on Thursday.
Bees seeking 'sugary' garden pest
Bumblebees may be showing an increasingly common behaviour of feeding on secretions from aphids.
Higher temperatures helped new strain of West Nile virus spread
Higher temperatures helped a new strain of West Nile virus invade and spread across North America, according to a study published in the June 27 issue of the journal PLoS...
12 Miami beaches closed due to bacteria
MIAMI, June 26 (UPI) -- The Miami-Dade Health Department told swimmers to stay out of the water at 12 Miami-area beaches this week because of high levels of...
Scientists to unlock secrets of chocolate
WASHINGTON, June 26 (UPI) -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture said it is working with IBM and candy-making giant Mars Inc. to sequence the entire cacao genome.
Genomics Of Large Marine Animals Showcased
The powerful advantages of using gene catalogs to infer biological function in marine animals are highlighted in a virtual symposium in the June issue of the Biological Bulletin, published by...