Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Monarch butterflies help explain why parasites harm hosts
Altizer with monarch. It’s a paradox that has confounded evolutionary biologists since Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species in 1859: Since parasites depend on their hosts for survival,...
Canadian protein complex study adds data
MONTREAL, May 14 (UPI) -- Canadian scientists say they have completed a massive survey of the network of protein complexes that maintain the fundamental processes of life.
Sudden stingray deaths puzzle Canada zoo
Officials at the Calgary Zoo remained baffled on Tuesday as they tried to puzzle out just why 34 of their stingrays suddenly died.
Scientists estimate protein interactions
LONDON, May 14 (UPI) -- British scientists say they have developed a method of estimating the total number of protein interactions in any organism.
Fecal Microorganisms Inhabit Sandy Beaches Of Florida
A study of Florida beaches has shown that wet sand and dry sand above the intertidal zone have significantly more fecal bacteria than near-shore seawater. Scientists researched whether indicator bacteria...
Genetic Variation Linked To Sugary Food
Individuals with a specific genetic variation consistently consume more sugary foods. The study offers the first evidence of the role that a variation in the GLUT2 gene -- a gene...
Research shines spotlight on a key player in the dance of chromosomes
Cell division is essential to life, but the mechanism by which emerging daughter cells organize and divvy up their genetic endowments is little understood. In a new study, researchers at...
Too hot to handle! Scientists identify heat sensing regulator
Neuroscientists at Johns Hopkins are a step closer to understanding pain sensitivity - specifically why it’s variable instead of constant - having identified a gene that regulates a heat-activated molecular...
Biochips Can Detect Cancers Before Symptoms Develop
n their fight against cancer, doctors have just gained an impressive new weapon to add to their arsenal. Researchers have developed a chip that can save lives by diagnosing certain...
Engineering by Scientists on Embryo Stirs Criticism
Researchers in New York have created what is believed to be the first genetically engineered human embryo, which critics immediately branded as a step toward “designer babies.”
3-D picture of Alzheimer's peptide created
WALTHAM, Mass., May 13 (UPI) -- U.S. and German scientists say they've created a three-dimensional picture of an Alzheimer's disease peptide using electron microscopy.
Egypt approves commercialisation of first GM crop
Egypt has approved a Bt maize variety for commercialisation, the first genetically modified crop to gain approval in the country.
Research Team Part of International Effort to Thwart Viruses
UAB (University of Alabama at Birmingham) scientists were part of an international research team that discovered the unique way certain viruses invade healthy cells, opening the door to new therapies...
Platypus venom could relieve pain
The dangerous venom found in male platypus spurs could potentially be valuable in pain relief and antibiotic medication, according to research.
Sweet sorghum, clean miracle crop for feed and fuel
The hardy sweet sorghum plant could be the miracle crop that provides cheap animal feed and fuel without straining the world's food supply or harming the environment, said scientists working...
Carnegie Mellon engineering researchers automate analysis of protein patterns
Carnegie Mellon University’s Justin Y. Newberg and Robert F. Murphy have developed a software toolbox that is intended to help bioscience researchers characterize protein patterns in human tissues.
'Shaquille O'Neal' Of Bacteria Big Enough To See With Naked Eye
Cornell researchers are studying bacterium big enough to see -- the Shaquille O'Neal of bacteria. The secret to an unusual bacterium's massive size -- it's the size of a grain...
When following the leader can lead into the jaws of death
Follow that fish -- threespine sticklebacks that were used in the experiments. For animals that live in social groups, and that includes humans, blindly following a leader could place them...
Invasion Of The Spiny Water Fleas: Drying Anchor Lines Can Help Contain Spread
Reducing the spread of some invasive species into our lakes could be as simple as asking boaters and fishers to dry out their equipment, says one biology professor studying invasive...
Simon Hoggart's sketch: MPs tread carefully on issues of conscience
Simon Hoggart: MPs debated the human fertilisation and embryology bill. Talk about walking on eggshells
Feces May Transmit Fatal Cheetah Disease [News]
A fatal, Alzheimer's-like disease that attacks cheetahs' internal organs and has impeded breeding of the cats in captivity may be spread by their feces. Researchers from Japan and China report...
Researchers synthesize molecule with self-control
Plants have an ambivalent relationship with light. They need it to live, but too much light leads to the increased production of high-energy chemical intermediates that can injure or kill...
Mo. biologists to study snake movement, mortality
(AP) -- Snakes wouldn't be at the top of most people's favorite critter list. They're feared and misunderstood and often, killed. That's a shame, said Jason Lewis, a wildlife...
British colonial past no protection from corruption
Former British colonies are just as likely to suffer from bribery and sleaze as any other country according to an international study.
Partnerships of Deep-Sea Methane Scavengers Revealed
The sea floor off the coast of Eureka, California, is home to a diverse assemblage of microbes that scavenge methane from cold deep-sea vents. Researchers at the California Institute of...
New Theory Suggests How Hepatitis C May Cause Rare Immune Disease
Of the hepatitis alphabet, the C variant may be the nastiest. In 1990, researchers observed that most patients with hepatitis C also develop a rare autoimmune disease called mixed cryoglobulinemia,...
First-Ever Comprehensive Global Map Of Freshwater Systems Released
Over a decade of work and contributions by more than 200 leading conservation scientists have produced a first-ever comprehensive map and database of the diversity of life in the world's...
Study: MicroRNAs are essential for sight
GAINESVILLE, Fla., May 12 (UPI) -- A team of U.S. and Italian scientists say they've determined microRNAs are essential for sight to develop.