Latest science news in Biology & Nature
VIDEO: Pandas Sensed Quake Coming?
A tourist visiting a reserve during the massive earthquake in China says pandas seemed to sense something was wrong before the quake struck.
Dogs are trained to find feces by scent
SEATTLE, May 14 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they are training dogs to detect animal feces by scent in a project designed to help protect threatened species in...
China Tree Frogs Sing Ultrasonic Duets, Study Finds
A species of Chinese frog has evolved an elaborate system of ultrasonic mating calls to circumvent its noisy hot spring environment, researchers say.
Observatory: Microwave Is Redirected to Kill Shipboard Pests
A researcher has discovered a unique use for your microwave oven — fighting invasive species.
Feature: Secrets in the pouch revealed
Understanding how the lung develops in newborn marsupials is part of award-winning research by a PhD student in Zoology.
Feature: The power of plants
Every minute of every day, plants around the globe convert 50,000 tonnes of sugar they’ve produced by photosynthesis into high-energy molecules to drive their growth. Marcia Van Zeller investigates the...
Opinion: Platypus genome should have been Australia's triumph
The release of the internationally awaited platypus genome could have been a triumph of Australian science, but Professor Jenny Graves and Dr Sue Forrest question whether the country can really...
New clues to how proteins dissolve and crystallize
X-ray spectroscopy shows that a protein acetate group (molecule at center) prefers binding with sodium (blue curve) over potassium (red curve); the green sphere represents a cation, with surrounding water...
How embryonic stem cells develop into tissue-specific cells demonstrated
While it has long been known that embryonic stem cells have the ability to develop into any kind of tissue-specific cells, the exact mechanism as to how this occurs has...
Cameron to take on Labour over controversial human embryo bill
Tory leader is to table a series of amendments to a the human fertilisation and embryology bill
Seal tries sex with penguin
A seal has been caught on camera trying to have sex with a penguin. This seems to be the first known example of a sexual escapade between a mammal and...
Using Fruit To Aid The Sun's Work
Blackberries, blueberries, oranges and grapes --- chemistry students are loading up on their fruits these days, but it has nothing to do with the food pyramid. The students are using...
Human vision inadequate for research on bird vision
The most attractive male birds attract more females and as a result are most successful in terms of reproduction. This is the starting point of many studies looking for factors...
Fish diet to avoid fights
People diet to look more attractive. Fish diet to avoid being beaten up, thrown out of their social group - and getting eaten as a result.
Got sugar? Skeletal muscle development responds to nutrient availability
A new study finds that restricted nutrient availability prevents muscle stem cells from growing into mature muscle cells. The research, published by Cell Press in the May issue of the...
University Research and Science Parks Create Sustainable Innovation
University research and science parks create sustainable innovation and development for communities worldwide. Experts from research and science parks worldwide will gather at the Salk Institute in La Jolla, California,...
Science Weekly podcast: brains, chips, and space ships
We take a tour through the human head, run through the latest twists in the debate over abortion time limits and consider the genetics of the strangest mammal on Earth
How One Mutation Tips Biochemistry To Cause Alzheimer's Disease
Forms of early-onset Alzheimer's disease are known to be hereditary, caused by single point mutations. Now, using sophisticated computer simulations, a team of physical chemists have shown precisely how the...
Toronto to start spraying for gypsy moths
Toronto is ready to start its aerial spraying campaign aimed at fighting an infestation of gypsy moths in the city.
Biologists to keep closer eye on northern eider ducks in face of die-offs
Federal government biologists say they will expand their monitoring of common eider ducks in Canada's North, as concerns escalate over avian cholera in northern bird colonies.
Astrium Seeks 24.5 Million Euros from Conax
Satellite contractor Astrium seeks 24 million euros in damages from Conax.
Roy Snelling, 73; renowned entomologist was an expert on ants
Roy Snelling, an internationally renowned entomologist who turned his boyhood fascination with insects into a lifelong study of the secret world of ants, wasps and bees, has died. He was...
Mechanism of cell death uncovered
Researchers have revealed how proteins are able to puncture a cell's power supply, the mitochnodria, triggering cell death that can prevent tumour growth.
Australian pokes shark in eye during attack
SYDNEY (Reuters) - An Australian swimmer survived a great white shark attack by poking the creature in the eyes as it dragged him through the water after badly savaging his...
Opinion: Lungfish left high and dry
When partial compliance is as bad as none: the Paradise Dam in Queensland has a fishway for the Australian Lungfish that is all but useless, writes Roger Currie.
Magnet Lab Researchers Make Observing Cell Functions Easier
Now that the genome of humans and many other organisms have been sequenced, biologists are turning their attention to discovering how the many thousands of structural and control genes --...
Gene Linked To Alcohol And Cocaine Dependence
The search for genes associated with alcohol dependence has recently been extended to the tachykinin receptor 3 gene, located within a broad region on chromosome 4q. Researchers have found that...
Ethical concerns in embryos bill divide MPs
Ministers debate fundamental questions about the sanctity of life and human embryo experimentation