Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Are There Higgs Bosons In Space?
Scientists say there are Higgs bosons in space, but they are like trees falling in the forest with no one there to hear them.
Rare gene variant implicates vitamin D in cause of multiple sclerosis
(Medical Xpress) -- A rare genetic variant that appears to be directly and causally linked to multiple sclerosis (MS) has been identified by Oxford University researchers.
Top-grade stem cells seen boosting research trials
LONDON (Reuters) - British scientists have made the first human embryonic stem cells of a high enough grade to use in patients and deposited them in a public stem cell...
New vaccine targets Ebola virus
TEMPE, Ariz., Dec. 6 (UPI) -- A vaccine has been created that protects mice against a deadly form of the Ebola virus, a U.S. scientist involved in its development...
New insights into how the nervous system becomes wired during early development
Thanks to a new study of the retina, scientists have developed a greater understanding of how the nervous system becomes wired during early development.
Genetic markers help feds enforce seafood regulations
New discoveries in "marine forensics" will allow federal seafood agents to genetically test blue marlin to quickly and accurately determine their ocean of origin. The test is needed to ensure...
An HIF-independent pathway for tumourigenesis in HLRCC
HLRCC, caused by mutations in FH, predisposes patients to develop papillary renal cell carcinoma. FH-deficient cells have an accumulation of fumarate, which leads to the stabilisation of HIF-α...
Hanging with the boys – female Alpine marmots benefit from a bit of pre-natal testosterone
Alpine marmots (Marmota marmota) live in extended family groups of up to 20 individuals. The groups consist of a dominant territorial pair and a number of subordinate individuals, typically descendants...
Is climate change altering humans' vacation plans?
Plants' and animals' seasonal cycles, such as flowering dates and migration patterns, have shifted in recent decades due to climate change.
Scientists discover likely cause of most common involuntary movement disorder
Researchers from the CHUQ research center and Universite Laval have discovered the likely cause of essential tremor (ET), a neurological disorder that affects more than 10 million North Americans. The...
Novartis to shut brain research facility
Novartis to shut brain research facilityNature 480, 161 06122011 doi: 10.1038/480161aAlison AbbottDrug giant redirects psychiatric efforts to genetics.
New study fundamentally alters our understanding of lung growth
A ground-breaking international study into the ways lungs grow and develop has challenged existing medical understanding that our lungs are completely formed by the age of three.
Soy is on top as a high-quality plant protein
The importance of protein in the human body is undeniable. However, the idea of what makes a protein a "quality protein" has not been as easy to determine. A new...
The chimpanzee who sees sounds
The chimpanzee who sees soundsNature News , 05122011 doi: 10.1038/nature.2011.9541Ewen CallawayApes' association of tones and shades may hold clues to human synaesthesia and language.
After it "died" once, will Dead Sea die again?
Salty lake completely disappeared about 120,000 years, a finding that's raising concerns about the Dead Sea's future
Worms can evolve to survive intersex populations
(PhysOrg.com) -- Sexually reproducing species need at least two sexes in order to produce offspring, but there are many ways that nature produces different sexes. Many animals (including humans and...
Biologists monitor crocodiles at nuclear plant
(AP) -- An unexpected but fruitful relationship has blossomed between two potent forces in the swamps of South Florida: the American crocodile, and a nuclear power plant.
Rare strangler fungi in UK garden
A very rare fungus, the powdercap strangler, is discovered in a Worcestershire garden by a local scientist.
Fishing trends threaten marine predators
VICTORIA, British Columbia, Dec. 5 (UPI) -- Current fishing trends are making iconic marine predators such as sharks, tuna, swordfish and marlin increasingly rare, Canadian researchers say.
Whitefly, tomato growers find truce in new Texas variety
The whitefly in Texas may be sending up a surrender flag to tomato processors in the state thanks to a scientist developing a new variety that resists the virus spread...
'Label-free' imaging tool tracks nanotubes in cells, blood for biomedical research
Researchers have demonstrated a new imaging tool for tracking structures called carbon nanotubes in living cells and the bloodstream, which could aid efforts to perfect their use in biomedical research...
Egg Timer: Separate Biological Clocks Govern Female Fertility and Life Span
As a biological feat, it was the equivalent of an 80-year-old woman giving birth: Because of a mutation, Coleen Murphy's worms were still fertile and laying eggs right up until...
Study finds wound-healing genes
A new study has accounted for 68 regions in the genome that code for wound-healing blood platelets.
Essay: Larry Smarr: An Evolution Toward a Programmable World
With a harvest of data from a wired planet, computing has evolved from sensing local information to analyzing it to being able to control it.
Fuel From Waste?
Genetically engineered bacteria could turn trees, grasses, and agricultural waste into gasoline
Yeast sex life can get pretty wild
Voyeuristic scientists have caught yeast having sex, and lots of it, a finding that questions the assumed chastity of the microscopic fungi that cause yeast infections in humans.
Green Blog: In New Jersey, Loaded for Bear
To the dismay of environmentalists, thousands apply for permits to join the state's annual black bear hunt.
Ecstasy users' brains show toxic effects
Female Ecstasy users show long-lasting signs of toxicity in their brains, an imaging study shows.