Latest science news in Biology & Nature
The lotus's clever way of staying dry
An ancient Confucian philosopher once said, 'I love the lotus because while growing from mud, it is unstained.' Now, almost one thousand years since Zhou Dunyi wrote these lines in...
Females Choose For Themselves, Not Offspring, Says Study
The great diversity of male sexual traits, ranging from peacock's elaborate train to formidable genitalia of male seed beetles, is the result of female choice, say researchers from Uppsala University,...
Skin fungus causes frog death
Researchers have discovered how a superficial fungal disease is destroying frog populations around the world.
Color Differences Within And Between Species Have Common Genetic Origin
Spend a little time people-watching at the beach and you're bound to notice differences in the amount, thickness and color of people's body hair. Then head to the zoo and...
General Anesthetics Lead To Learning Disabilities In Animal Models
Blocking the NMDA receptor in immature rats leads to profound, rapid brain injury and disruption of auditory function as the animals mature.
Protein helps plants survive drought
LA JOLLA, Calif., Oct. 23 (UPI) -- A hormone-sensing protein that helps plants survive dry spells and drought could yield clues to improve crops worldwide, scientists in La Jolla,...
Parallel course: Researchers help ease transition to parallel programming
(PhysOrg.com) -- In 1995, a good computer chip had a clock speed of about 100 megahertz. Seven years later, in 2002, a good computer chip had a clock speed of...
New evidence of culture in wild chimpanzees
A new study of chimpanzees living in the wild adds to evidence that our closest primate relatives have cultural differences, too. The study, reported online on October 22nd in Current...
Alaska critical habitat for polar bear declared
n a move applauded by WWF, the US Department of the Interior has announced the proposed designation of almost 52 million hectares of key polar bear habitat across Alaska. The...
Proposed Water Plant Raises Growth Issues in Marin County
The question of population growth in Marin County is one of the underlying issues in discussion of a desalinization plant for the county.
Cyber Exploring The 'Ecosystems' Of Influenzas
Predicting the infection patterns of influenzas requires tracking both the ecology and the evolution of the fast-morphing viruses that cause them, said a researcher who enlists computers to model such...
Hybrids Of Invasive Australian Plant Species Casuarina Found Growing Widely In Florida
Hybrids of the invasive Australian plant species Casuarina exist in Florida, scientists have found. These fast-growing, pine-like trees were historically planted widely as ornamentals and along boulevards in south Florida,...
Scientists Show How Tiny Cells Deliver Big Sound In Cochlea
Researchers say they have, for what is believed to be the first time, managed to measure and record the elusive electrical activity of the type II neurons in the snail-shell-like...
Scientists Identify Specific Markers That Trigger Aggressiveness Of Liver Cancer
Researchers have provided a comprehensive profile of multiple epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers and to demonstrate that Snail and Twist, but not Slug, are the major inducers of EMT in HCC.
Braille Displays Get New Life With Artificial Muscles
Research with tiny artificial muscles may yield a full-page active Braille system that can refresh automatically and come to life right beneath your fingertips.
Seeing the Forest for the Trees
Mangroves are a vital but endangered natural resource in many coastal regions. A JPL researcher has completed the first full assessment of Africa's mangrove forests.
Bone formation from embryonic stem cells
Jojanneke Jukes of the University of Twente, The Netherlands, has succeeded in growing bone tissue with the help of embryonic stem cells for the first time.
Rights group targets primate labs' funding
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 22 (UPI) -- An animal-rights watchdog group says laboratories recently accused of neglecting and mistreating research animals should lose U.S. funding.
Researchers define barriers to successful heart cell transplants
(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers at the University of Toronto have developed a novel cell injection test-bed to evaluate the barriers to transplanted cell integration with cardiac tissue. The results provide insights...
Boston University scientists first to see RNA network in live bacterial cells
BOSTON -- Scientists who study RNA have faced a formidable roadblock: trying to examine RNA's movements in a living cell when they can't see the RNA. Now, a new...
FOR KIDS: The secret life of fruit flies
Scientists find that the most attractive scent for a fruit fly is no scent at all
Researchers find key microbial indicator of ocean health
A team of researchers at the University of British Columbia, along with colleagues at the US Dept. of Energy Joint Genome Institute, has mapped the genome of a microbe that...
Genes might revolutionize vaccines
SWINDON, England, Oct. 22 (UPI) -- British scientists say they've determined specialized molecules that activate immune system receptor cells could revolutionize the design and use of vaccines.
Orangutans struggle to survive as palm oil booms
Cinta, a baby orangutan found lost and alone in a vast Borneo palm oil plantation, now clings to a tree at a sanctuary for the great apes, staring intently at...
Now hear this
Deep in the ear, 95 percent of the cells that shuttle sound to the brain are big, boisterous neurons that, to date, have explained most of what scientists know about...
Bioinsecticide To Control The Mediterranean Fruit Fly
The Mediterranean fruit fly is a world plague which represents one of the most serious problems for agriculture. However, the control methods currently present in the market for this plague...
Nanowire biocompatibility in the brain: So far so good
The biological safety of nanotechnology, in other words, how the body reacts to nanoparticles, is a hot topic. Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have managed for the first time...
You can control your Marilyn Monroe neuron
(PhysOrg.com) -- In a scientific first, researchers have been able to demonstrate the ability of humans to control the activity of individual brain cells.