Latest science news in Biology & Nature
A heat sensor for body-clock synchronisation
New research on the fruit-fly brain points to a possible mechanism by which temperature influences the body clock, according to scientists from Queen Mary, University of London...
Placental precursor stem cells require testosterone-free environment to survive
Trophoblast stem cells (TSCs), cells found in the layer of peripheral embryonic stem cells from which the placenta is formed, are thought to exhibit "immune privilege" that aids cell survivability...
Researchers Transform Embryonic Stem Cells Into Human Germ Cells
Researchers say they have discovered how to transform human embryonic stem cells into germ cells, the embryonic cells that ultimately give rise to sperm and eggs, an advance that will...
Genetic fungal infection risk identified
LONDON, Oct. 29 (UPI) -- Two genetic mutations linked to the risk of fungal infections have been identified by a team of British and Dutch scientists.
Study: Trees can benefit from wildfires
BURLINGTON, Vt., Oct. 29 (UPI) -- U.S. biologists say they found some savanna trees may contribute to the likelihood of wildfires to promote their own abundance at the expense...
Researchers Find Brain Cell Transplants Help Repair Neural Damage
A study aimed at determining whether autografted cells derived from primate cortical gray matter, cultured for one month and re-implanted in the caudate nucleus of dopamine depleted primates, effectively survived...
Outcrops cover fragile species
Researchers suspect that granite outcrops could act as a refuge for species vulnerable to climate change – and have done so before.
DNA to help NZ cops stop crime
A new law will help New Zealand police solve both current and cold cases by collecting DNA from a wider range of suspects.
Mirror images united: Simultaneous binding of both enantiomers of a drug to an enzyme
(PhysOrg.com) -- In the binding pockets of enzymes their natural binding partners fit exactly. The principle by which many pharmacological agents work also relies on the fact that these substances...
Did India invent the nose job?
An Indian doctor working in 600 B.C. might have been the world's first plastic surgeon, according to a new exhibition that challenges Western domination of the history of science and...
Dendritic cells spark smouldering inflammation in smokers' lungs
Inflammation still ravages the lungs of some smokers years after they quit the habit. What sparks that smouldering destruction remained a mystery until a consortium of researchers led by Baylor...
Why fish oils help and how they could help even more
New research from Queen Mary, University of London and Harvard Medical School has revealed precisely why taking fish oils can help with conditions like rheumatoid arthritis...
Researchers find brain cell transplants help repair neural damage
A Swiss research team has found that using an animal's own brain cells (autologous transplant) to replace degenerated neurons in select brain areas of donor primates with simulated but asymptomatic...
UPLB research on improved eggplant varieties, a success
More than a decade of research paid off! Pest resistant varieties of eggplant were developed; ways to lessen the use or avoidance of insecticidal spraying were found; there was...
Teriparatide outperforms alendronate in treating steroid-induced osteoporosis
A recent study determined glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (OP) is now treatable with Teriparatide, a synthetic form of the human parathyroid hormone.
Bad driving may have genetic basis, UCI study finds
Bad drivers may in part have their genes to blame, suggests a new study by UC Irvine neuroscientists...
California Awards Grants for Research Projects in Nonembryonic Stem Cells
California’s stem cell research program awarded most of the $230 million in grants to projects using so-called adult stem cells.
First Halloween Costumes: Skins, Skulls, and Skirts
A far cry from the Twilight vampires, naughty nurses, and Spider-Men of 2009, the first Halloween costumes included animal skins and heads, drag getups, and even mechanical horse heads, historians say.
Promise of sex may save orchid
Researchers are fighting to save an endangered Australian orchid by finding better ways of tricking wasps into mating with it.
ANIMAL "ZOMBIES": Nature's "Walking Dead" in Pictures
At Halloween, pause to remember the animal "undead"—before they remember you. From "resurrected" spiders to mind-controlled ants to reanimated frozen frogs, some wildlife is wild "dead" too.
Birds' eyes, not beaks, sense magnetic fields
New study pinpoints migratory songbirds’ magnetic compass in a specific brain region
Ancient 'unicorn' fly had 3 eyes on its horn
Scientists have found new species of prehistoric insect preserved in amber, a tiny "unicorn" fly with an unusual set of eyes.
Rubber tree genome is sequenced
PENANG, Malaysia, Oct. 28 (UPI) -- Scientists at the Malaysian Center for Chemical Biology at Universiti Sains Malaysia say they have sequenced the rubber tree genome.
Remotely Operated Vehicles And Satellite Tags Aid Turtle Studies
Researchers are using a remotely operated vehicle and satellite-linked data loggers to learn more about turtle behavior in commercial fishing areas and to develop new ways to avoid catching turtles...
Diet And Intestinal Bacteria Linked To Healthier Immune Systems
Insoluble dietary fiber, or roughage, not only keeps you regular, say scientists, it also plays a vital role in the immune system, keeping certain diseases at bay.
Genes drive behaviour, but culture can select genes: study
Culture, not just genes, can drive evolutionary outcomes, according to a study released Wednesday that compares individualist and group-oriented societies across the globe.
Chickens immunised by GM peas
Plants genetically engineered to contain antibodies against diseases have protected chickens.
So . . . How Do Squid Fly Exactly?
After yesterday's cliffhanger, I suppose I should explain what it means for a squid to fly. Can they control their aerial trajectory? Can they gain altitude, once airborne, which is...